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Title

During the war,Hull was only ever referred to as A North-east coast town

Description

Reasons why Hull was not names and summary of the damage done noting that Hull suffered more than any other city including 1200 people killed and 152000 rendered homeless.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

Roger Dunsford

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

One printed document

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Transcription

During the war, Hull was only ever referred to as
A North-east coast town.

Why, you may well ask.
The official reasons given were:
[symbol] To keep up the countries [sic] moral
[symbol] To prevent the enemy knowing that Hull was an important City
[symbol] To avoid giving tactical information to the enemy
Hull suffered more than any other city.
Over 1,200 people lost their lives.
Over 3,000 people were seriously injured.
Out of the 192,660 habitable houses in Hull at the beginning of the war, only 5,938 escaped damage.
152,000 people were rendered homeless at one time or another.
Three million square feet of factory space was wiped out.
Half the main shopping area was obliterated.
27 churches were destroyed.
14 schools were destroyed.
The docks were continually bombarded.
This ordeal was spread over the course of the war, with more than seventy separate attacks.

Title

Description

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Type

Identifier

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Title

Eric Horsham Flight Engineer

Description

Recollection of Eric Horsham from his early years in Plumstead, training at Lords, Torquay, St Athans, Marston Moor then 102 Squadron at Pocklngton. On one operation they were badly damaged but made a successful forced landing at Woodbridge, assisted by FIDO.
Included is a photograph of the damage sustained to the Halifax's wing.
He details his operations mostly over Germany but also France. He refers to Flying Officer Leonard Cheshire being posted to his squadron.
On the last page is a photograph of his crew in front of a Halifax. Each member is identified -

Jimmy Finney Mid Upper Gunner From- Hull.

Eric Horsham Flt Engineer From- Woolwich.

Owen Shirley Navigator From- Carsholton.

Edgar Francis Pilot From- Stoke St Michael.

John Morris Bomb Aimer From- Highgate,London.

Alan Shepherd Wireless Operator From- Ringwood.

Ron Alderton Rear Gunner From- London

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

Roger Dunsford

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

By 1930 and at the age of seven, I was now beginning to take note of events, for example watching the R101 Airship on its way to London, guided by the Thames.

By 1937, I had joined the Air Defence Corp, later to be called the Air Training Corp.
In 1942, I was called up and vetted as A1 and selected as Flight Engineer, (A new trade in those days), just as the new four engine Bombers were appearing.
Joining many others at Lord’s Cricket Ground, we soon found ourselves at Initial Training Wing (ITW) In [sic] Torquay with other aircrew trades. St Athan, in Wales was our home for the next 6 months and then on to Number 56 Conversion Unit, Marston Moor, near York, where I made up the seventh member of the crew.

Shortly after, being posted To [sic] Pocklington, the home of 102 (Ceylon) Squadron. We now began operations along with some 30 other crews.

We were always aware of empty seats at breakfast, and losses sustained by 102 Squadron were the 3rd highest in Bomber Command.

On The [sic] 16th of November 1944 there were so nearly another seven casualties. Our target was Julich, Germany, to assist the Army’s push into the Ruhr.

Leaving the Target at 18,000 ft, we were caught by German radar, the word on the intercom was “Dive, Dive, Dive” at the same time there was an almighty Bang which destroyed our hearing. You could taste the Cordite. The skipper put the aircraft into a steep dive and then eventually levelling out, beyond their guns range. Damage to the aircraft was substantial, I could see gaping holes in the starboard side of the fuselage, flaps had disappeared and vapour trails of fuel could be seen in our slipstream as the fuel tanks drained away. I quickly transferred fuel from the port side to the starboard engines. Our mid upper gunner (Jim Finney) also sustained leg injuries requiring immediate attention.

Now over our own lines, skipper, (Edgar Francis) took a direct course to the nearest landing strip, Woodbridge Aerodrome. Coastal fog obscured our approach but fortunately the runway was lit by FIDO (Fog Incandescent Dispersal Organisation). Fran made a fast circuit to line up our descent. We were without communications so I loaded the flare gun and fired repeatedly from the cockpit roof to let flying control know we were there. We had no Brakes, Starboard Flaps, leaking fuel and fog, but fortunately a long runway… WE WERE DOWN, the mid upper gunner whisked off to hospital, and a relief that was palpable.

“JUST ANOTHER OP” on a foggy November afternoon.

[page break]

2
DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO MY HALIFAX ON THE 16TH NOVEMBER 1944
OPERATION TO JULICH.

Note:-
Flying Officer LEONARD CHESHIRE was posted to 102 Squadron in June 1940 and subsequently awarded the (DSO). Then further awarded the (DFC) with promotion to Fight Lieutenant whilst serving with 102 Squadron

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1944

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

Ashley Jacobs

David Bloomfield

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Title

Description

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Title

Description

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1941-03-03

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Temporal Coverage

Title

Description

The marriage certificate of John Staves (Malcolm Staves' father) and Sarah Jane Ely (Malcolm Staves' mother), May 13th 1919. The birth certificate of Sarah Jane Ely on 7th December 1893. An envelope addressed to M E Staves at Cottingham.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1893-12-07

1919-05-13

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

Two printed sheets with handwritten annotations. A handwritten note and a typewritten envelope.

Title

Description

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Title

Malcolm Staves, 207 Squadron Veteran

A Brief History

Description

Malcolm Staves' life in the RAF, starts with his school reports through his enlistment in 1942. He trained at Bridgnorth then was assigned to 207 Squadron at Spilsby. His colleagues included George Cearns who joined 166 Squadron and Hank Williams who was posted to 106 Squadron at Metheringham. 70 years later he was reunited with them at the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial at Green Park, London.
In July 1943 he was posted to RAF Madley to train as a radio operator. In a short period from July to December he moved to Dumfries, Oxford, Winthorpe, Barford, Syerston and Newark.
His first active sortie was not until February 1945 and included raids on the Ems Canal, Dortmund, Dresden, Politz, Nordhausen and Rositz. He completed a tour of 30 operations.
He continued flying Lancasters after the war, surviving a fuel pipe coming adrift on landing and filling the aircraft with fuel.
In Christmas 1945 he flew POWs back to the UK in Lancasters.
The second part of this document covers 'Exhibits', mementoes, documents and photographs of his service records.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

David Bloomfield

Tricia Marshall

Rights

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Temporal Coverage

Transcription

Malcolm Ely Staves was born on 26th may 1924 ln North Boulevard, Hull and moved to Cottingham at the age of 2 years, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Malcolm's father died when he was only 8 years old and a further tragic family bereavement occurred when his sister, Gwen died of polio during the polio epidemic in the summer of 1948. Malcolm married Sheena Thompson on 7th January 1950 and is survived by Sheena and their two daughters, Christina and Heather.

Malcolm's school reports show that he was an excellent student, maintaining the highest grades in all subjects and consistently 1st place amongst his classmates.

Malcolm was a keen and proficient sportsman, with his interests mainly in playing football and cricket.

His academic abilities led to him taking a career in accountancy, beginning at the age of 14 years as a filing clerk and eventually rising to the position of Managing Director and Secretary of the long established Hull business of King and Company whose business premises can still be found, as protected architecture, alongside the Trinity Church in the marketplace in Hull.

In 1942 Malcolm applied for a place in the Royal Air Force, Bomber Command and as can be seen from the early artifacts, [sic] he was accepted on medical and academic grounds but his training and active service was postponed by a year, due to him having a widowed mother.

2

[page break]

Malcolm finally left for training on Monday 26th April 1943, travelling to London and Lord's Cricket Ground to begin the process of enlistment.

[photograph of a training flight of airmen]

He was billeted in flats in Regents Park and began a series of medical checks, inoculations, tests and other procedures before wearing his uniform for the first time on 1st May 1943 on a visit to Wembley. He also mentions in his diaries that he attended a concert by the Squadronaires and Vera Lynne.

For a young man of 18 years old, who had, probably, never travelled out of East Yorkshire except to cross the Humber to Lincolnshire, from where his family hailed, this must have been daunting but also very exciting and of course at this stage he had no idea what was to come during the next 3 years.

During his time in London he records, very modestly, that he met the King and Queen at the Church Army Services Club.

He was posted to Bridgnorth and arrived at 3.49pm on Saturday 15th May.

After settling in to the new billets he was informed that he had been granted a 54 hour pass to attend his sister Gwen's wedding.

On Friday the 21st May Malcolm left for Hull, getting a lift from the camp to the station in a

3

[page break]

‘Persil Van’, catching the 8.45 train and after various changes he arrived in Hull at 4.45 am on the day of the wedding.

After the wedding he began the long journey back to camp, arriving at 7pm on Sunday 23rd May.

The following months at Bridgnorth were spent on a series of lectures, fatigues, drills, parades, tests, fire parties and other duties and mysterious [symbol] 'gardening at night'! This was interspersed with football and cricket matches against other huts.

It was at Bridgnorth where Malcolm made some friends who would remain strong companions for the rest of his life.

It was common practice for crew to adopt ‘nicknames’ and hence Malcolm became known as ’Joe’ and this name stays with him to this day. William 'Hank' Williams was billeted with Malcolm and strong bonds were formed at Bridgnorth. Two other pals who joined 'Joe' and 'Hank' were George Cearns and Eric Evans.

Sadly, Eric was killed in training but Malcolm, Hank and George remained close ever since the end of their service.

At the end of their training the remaining pals were allocated to their squadrons and so split up for the duration of the war.

As we know Malcolm was assigned to 207 Squadron based at Spilsby.

George Cearns joined 166 Squadron and Hank Williams was posted to 106 Squadron at Metheringham after volunteering for the Pathfinders who were a specialist unit who marked the targets for the following bombing crews.

4

[page break]

On 28th June 2012, a remarkable, serendipitous occurrence happened in Green Park, London.

Having survived a grueling [sic] series of operations and a course of radiotherapy, for cancer, Malcolm made the journey to London to take part in the unveiling ceremony of the Bomber Command Memorial.

This long overdue event to mark the courage of Bomber Command aircrews, for those who were lost and the survivors, was a very special moment for Malcolm. The exhausting trip, only a week after the end of Malcolm's treatment was agreed by his medical team as a tonic but no one could have known just what would happen on this already emotionally charged day.

By an incredible act of fate Malcolm was 'spotted' in the crowd of 3,000, first by George Cearns and minutes later by 'Hank' Williams.

Although these, 'comrades' had remained in contact over the years by telephone and letters, it had been some years since they had met together and here was the most remarkable unplanned re-union to put a perfect end to a truly remarkable day.

At the end of July 1943 Malcolm had a week's leave during which time he visited family in Hull and Stickford, Lincolnshire before returning for duty at a new posting at Madley, where he attended intensive training at the Radio Operators school.

5

[page break]

This determined Malcolm's future as Radio Operator in Lancasters.

During his time at R.A.F. Madley, Malcolm continued with a diet of daily lectures, tests, and various duties but appears to have had more opportunities for leisure activities including frequent visits to the cinema where he relates the many films that he saw.

Some of these have become classics such as ‘Now Voyager’, ‘Gone With The Wind' and 'Fantasia'.

The routine continued through the autumn months and into winter with the occasional leave and trips back to Hull and Lincolnshire.

At the beginning of November Malcolm records on a number of occasions that he was engaged in another mysterious activity, [symbol] 'Binding’ and this would sometimes take place all day and night.

He recorded for the first time on 26th November that he did 3 hours of flying and apart from sessions that were cancelled due to the weather, this activity became a regular part of the training schedule through to the end of the year.

[symbol] The terms ‘gardening at night’ and ‘binding’ were intriguing in initial research results.

Night Gardening was the dropping of mines in the English Channel which was segmented into areas with names of flowers.

However, a more accurate and sadly more mundane meaning was offered by Hank Williams.

‘Gardening at night’ was indeed just that. It was part of the airmen’s responsibilities to maintain absolute order in

6

[page break]

and around their barracks and small gardens were maintained, the work often done at night after a busy days training. ‘Binding’, which also took place ‘all day and night’, was the term used for swatting for tests and exams.

Poignantly, there is no mention of Christmas at all and 25th December just reads as, ‘up at 7. 30 am. Went to Station Cinema to see ‘The Rains Came”.

Malcolm did manage to get a 48 hour pass to travel home on New Years Eve arriving in Hull at 1.15 am on New Years Day and walking all the way from Hull to Cottingham arriving home at 2.45 am.

One cannot imagine, in terms of today's festivities, how it must have felt to make that journey, the last one and half hours on foot to get home see his mother, leaving early on 2nd January to make the return journey back to base at Madley.

The New Year continued where the old one had left off but with more mention of study, flying and exams.

On February 15th 1944 Malcolm records that he passed his Final Board followed by an emotionless comment for the following day “Joe Peterson gone for a Burton …………. Wade baled out”.

The following day he attended the Commission Board and was promoted to Sergeant. The Passing Out Parade took place on 18th February, immediately after which he caught a train home.

7

[page break]

Life continued with lectures, letter writing, many visits to the cinema, exercises and flying through to June when Malcolm was ‘posted’.

While airmen were allocated to squadrons, crews were put together by a much more informal and
personal process. A skipper would, 'choose' his crew on the basis of their personalities and skills.

Flight Officer Ren Watters, a New Zealander, was to become the 'skipper' on Malcolm's crew.

He selected:

Flight Sergeant ‘Trapper’ J. Henderson, Flight Engineer

Flight Sergeant J.M. Stewart, Navigator.

Flight Sergeant Ron Moore, Bomb Aimer.

Flight Sergeant Malcolm Ely 'Joe' Staves – Radio Operator.

Flight Sergeant Eric Varney, Gunner.

Flight Sergeant D.M.C. 'Taffy' Watkins, Gunner to form his crew.

[photograph of crew]

During the months of July to December Malcolm moved around a number of locations, including, rather oddly Dumfries but then to Oxford, Winthorpe, Barford, Syerston and Newark.

At last he spent the Christmas of 1944 at home on leave and, as 1945 begins, his daily diary recordings come to an end on 6th January.

8

[page break]

We now know that Malcolm's first active sortie, was in February 1945 and that he went on to complete many bombing missions, including raids on the Ems Canal, Dortmund, Dresden, Politz, Nordhausen and Rositz.

All of these flights could have been the last flown by Malcolm, given the heavy losses experienced by Bomber Command. throughout the war.

He did however make it to the end of the hostilities but continued flying in Lancasters for some months after the war had finished. This involved flying training missions for new recruits and one flight on 17th July 1946, was probably the most dramatic, terrifying and near death situation that he experienced.

The flight happened after Skipper Wren Watters had returned to New Zealand and Malcolm's crew had disbanded.

On this occasion he was flying as WOP with a Canadian Skipper, Grahame Inglis and on the approach to landing, a fuel pipe at Malcolm's feet became detached spewing high octane airplane fuel through the aircraft.

With his usual determination, Malcolm managed to track down Grahame, to his home in Canada in 1993 and he recalled the incident in an article entitled 'Fright In Flight', for the Royal Canadian Air Force magazine, "Airforce”. The following excerpt gives a flavor [sic] of the dramatic experience,

“On July 17th 1946, we flew F for Freddie on a local two-plane formation exercise and we had some Air Training Corps cadets along . This was my twelfth - last flight in the RAF and, for a few minutes, I thought that it would be my last ever. Having returned to the vicinity of the base we did the pre-descent drills which included turning on the cross-feed pumps, thereby ensuring a fuel supply to all four engines no matter if some of the tanks were empty and eliminating surprise engine failure during the critical approach and landing phase of the flight. The cross-feed pipe

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[page break]

is just forward of the main spar ‘step’ beside the wireless operator’s position.

Suddenly he, (Malcolm), yells that the pipe has come apart and fuel Is gushing onto the floor of the cabin! As quick as the flight engineer’s reaction is in turning off the pumps the whole cockpit is inundated. We are in a hellish airborne gas chamber in which fumes arise and, in spite of our oxygen masks, affect our breathing and eyesight. I have a mental flashback to myself as a young boy reclining, rigid, in a dentist's chair whilst a mask over my face delivers "laughing gas" prior to a tooth extraction. There is a vibrating sensation in my head just before going under. Well, I have the same sensation now but this is av/gas and no laughing matter. I had better not go under! …. My Mayday call to base must have sounded odd, for I was on a high octane high. Our formation partner has slid out to a discreet distance, clearly not wishing to share in our anticipated conflagration.

I have opened a large sliding perspex panel beside me, as has the flight engineer, and I poke my face into the 180 kt. Airflow. This clears my head and brings back my vision. I find that by putting the nose down to start our descent towards base I have the solution for all of us except the bomb aimer. The fuel flows into basement office in the nose and he shows commendable agility in joining us in the cockpit. I reminded of the salmon leap, in Scotland, upstream to spawn. I think that the draft from the front gun turret blows the fumes out through the inspection ports into the bomb bay.

Eventually the atmosphere improves. We can almost recognize the normal smell of the Lancaster. The fire trucks and the blood wagons are out in force and I’m afraid that I provide an anti-climax by greasing old Fred onto the runway. Then we are off to talk to our Incredulous ground crew.”

10

[page break]

As Malcolm's career in the Air Force, neared its end, he spent Christmas of 1945 on a less dangerous and perhaps more enjoyable mission. He was based in Rome at 2 Base Area Rest and Leave Camp. His objective was to transport P.O.W.’s and equipment back to G.B. and he retained the Christmas Day Menu and some of the Allied Military Issue Lira notes from the festive occasion.

Malcolm retained a fantastic amount of information and items relating to his time before, during and after his time in Lancaster Bombers and 207 Squadron. It is these artefacts that form the exhibition that you are able to visit today.

[photograph of 207 Squadron Crest]

11

[page break]

The Exhibits

The first group of artifacts [sic] show the rigorous process which Malcolm underwent before he was finally accepted into the Royal Air Force. These include Medical Certificates, Enlistment Notices, a Postponement of Calling Notice, a Warrant Certificate of Appointment as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Air Force and his Certificate of Appointment to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as Pilot Officer, the latter was signed by King George VI.

Malcolm saved all of his lecture notes and training manuals, giving us an insight into how intensive the preparation was for someone undertaking to be part of the crew of a Lancaster Bomber. These are exhibited here.

The number of photographs of ‘crews’ and training school groups show how important the ‘comradeship’ was in such grave circumstances. They are reminiscent of sports team photographs. The comradeship lasted for most of those who served in military units and this was certainly the case for Malcolm and the crew with whom he flew. Later in the exhibition the crew re-unions, organized by Malcolm and his life-long membership of the 207 Squadron can be witnessed through press clippings and personal photographs and poems.

A reminder of how 'normal life' had to carry on to some extent can be seen in the small

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[page break]

collection of Pay and Post Office Savings Books. In addition there are the copies of ‘The Gospel According To St Mark' and ‘The New Testament Serviceman’s Bible’ from King George VI. These were a testament to the attempt at pastoral care for those whose daily missions reduced the chances of survival to a minimum.

A more harsh reminder of how uncertain a safe return was can be seen in the beautifully preserved ‘Air Crew Escape Map' which was printed on silk to enable it to be very small when folded, the card with a list of Phrases In Foreign Languages and the now almost comical instruction sheet for ‘The Method of Wrapping Pigeons For Dropping From Aircraft'.

The purpose of the pigeon dropping instructions was far from amusing. It would be the only hope of recovery for aircrews, when, having been shot down, used the dropped pigeon to relay their coordinates back to England. During the war there was a cull of predatory birds over the coastal areas, to prevent carrier pigeons being caught and killed.

Compared to todays GPS navigation systems, the navigation systems used by the RAF were relatively crude. Paper maps were relied upon and here is collection of various maps used on bombing raids, some showing the numerous airfields across areas of England and some detailed maps of the airfield at Spilsby, from where Malcolm flew most of his missions.

Familiar landmarks were also used to guide pilots back to their airfields and the photograph of a Lancaster flying over Old Bolling Brook Mill, Lincolnshire, was one such landmark used regularly by crews of 207 Squadron planes. To add to the relevance of this photograph, the mill

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[page break]

happened to be owned and operated by Malcolm's Uncle.

Possibly some of the most poignant items preserved by Malcolm are his uniform and other clothing items and kit.

As well as the uniform there are some other more intimate and not often seen items such as his airforce issue socks and sleeping bag inner. This part of the collection also includes the bicycle that he used to get about the airfield and his kit bags and interestingly ‘one’ leather flying glove. He would have only worn one glove as his right hand had to be free to send morse code messages and operate the radio.

There are also a number of log books and flight records of various bombing missions. Some are facsimiles while others are the original items.

Jumping ahead to the end of WWII, it is interesting to note that 207 Squadron planes and crews were stationed in Italy, near Rome. Their mission was to bring back servicemen and equipment and Malcolm spent Christmas 1945 at this location.

He saved the Christmas Day Menu from the Area Rest and Leave Camp and some of the Allied Military Issue Lira notes, which can be seen here.

Malcolm was one of the few who managed to fly more than 30 missions and survive and his Royal Air Force Service Record and Release Book must have been one of the most welcome documents that he received.

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[page break]

A rather emotional reminder of the end of hostilities are the demob cigar and the front page of the Hull Daily Mail with Churchill's victory announcement.

There is also a letter of recommendation written and signed by his Flight Lieutenant, presumably to be used to help gain employment back in civvy street.

Perhaps the most understated artifact [sic] is the small card from the Cottingham Welcome Home Committee, informing Malcolm that as they had run out of suitable gifts would he accept a monetary gift. It is believed that the amount was 10 shillings. Not a fabulous amount to recognize what hardships, sacrifices and heroism he had endured and displayed but nevertheless some recognition from his home community of what he had done for them in his time in 207 Squadron.

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[page break]

Comrades

When his time in the Air Force was over, Malcolm returned to civilian life but the strong bonds of friendship that had developed over the period of training and action would remain for the rest of his life.

Once he was posted to his beloved 207 Squadron, the bonds of friendship were also a dependence on the skills and courage of all crew-mates for survival in often terrifying and terrible flying conditions.

Even before they went into action, there were terrible losses of young lives and one painful example was the death of Eric Evans on his last training flight. Eric, Malcolm and Hank Williams, trained together at RAF Madley as Wireless Operators and Erics [sic] tragic death remained with Malcolm and Hank for the rest of their lives. They often visited his grave at Holyhead to lay flowers.

As well as the firm ties between Malcolm, Hank and George Cearns, which last to the present day, Malcolm became a lifelong member of the 207 Squadron Association and The Royal Airforce Association.

He also became the architect of his crew re-unions, the first of which took place, in Cottingham, in July 1967. The event was well covered by the local press, particularly as Malcolm had managed to get the Lancaster Skipper, Wren Watters over from New Zealand, to join the rest of the crew. Sadly Taffy Watkins and Trapper Henderson, who by now lived in South Africa and Australia, could not join their comrades.

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[page break]

Many more re-unions took place through the 80's and 90's, including 207 Squadron and Royal Air Force re-unions. There were also regular services and dedications across the country that Malcolm and his comrades attended.

Perhaps the most poignant and the last ceremony that Malcolm attended was held in Green Park, London, on Thursday 28" June 2012, in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

After many years of controversy and ill feeling, a Memorial to The Bomber Command was unveiled by the Queen and Malcolm was there to witness and take part in this momentous occasion.

This was all the more remarkable as he had only finished the grueling [sic] treatment for cancer, just one week before the ceremony. The medical team, from Castle Hill Hospital, who had been treating him for 6 months, gave the all clear for Malcolm to travel to London and declared that it would be better than any medicine that they could prescribe. Supported by members of his family, Malcolm made the long journey, by train, to spend one of the hottest days of the year in Green Park, with 3,000 ex-airmen and their supporting families.

He thoroughly enjoyed the ceremonies and entertainment but perhaps the biggest surprise of all was when he was spotted in the huge audience by two of his closest comrades, William ‘Hank Williams and George Cearns. It was a very moving, impromptu, re-union and sadly the last one that Malcolm would participate in.

[photograph of Malcolm Staves, William ‘Hank’ Williams and George Cearns]

17

[page break]

Malcolm Staves passed away, peacefully, in Dove House Hospice, Hull, with all of his family by his bedside, on 19'" November 2012.

Title

Interview with Ron Harrison

Description

As a child, Ron Harrison witnessed the bombing of Hull. He describes what it was like to be a child exploring the bombed out areas of the city with his young friends. His father was a fireman and while he was attending fires in the dock area their family home was hit. Fortunately Ron had been staying with his grandmother that night. Ron recalls his father salvaging a toy lorry which had been badly damaged and was found in the wreckage. He repaired it for Ron and it remained as a much loved family heirloom. He describes how the firemen would make toys for the children who had lost everything in the air raids. Ron recalls a gathering of local lads who were off to join their Navy ship and the party to wish them well. All were lost when the ship was later attacked. He recalls the rationing and the spirit of the local people around him towards the bombing. Ron also recalls the night when residents thought the war was over and all assembled in the town centre to celebrate. The lights came on but a lone Luftwaffe plane descended and attacked the crowd killing twelve. Ron also describes the day the war ended when the children were being driven around the town centre in the American jeeps.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

2018-11-01

Contributor

Julie Williams

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

00:56:18 audio recording

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Transcription

MS: So, I’m sitting with Ronald Harrison.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And you don’t mind me calling you Ron, do you?
RH: Yeah. Yeah. No.
MS: It’s alright to call you Ron?
RH: No. No. It’s fine.
MS: Good. And your date of birth is the 22nd of the 4th 1936.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And at the moment we’re at [deleted] Lincoln.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And the, the date is the 1st of November 2018.
RH: Yeah.
MS: The interviewer is me, Michael Sheehan. And the purpose of the interview as it’s for the International Bomber Command Centre. The Digital Archive. And the reason that I’m raising my voice so much is because you’ve asked me to.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Because your hearing aid is useless.
RH: Yeah. I’m deaf as a door nail.
MS: Deaf as a door nail, aren’t you?
RH: Yeah. Deaf as a door nail.
MS: That’ll do. And also present in the room is Mary Drabble, your friend from down the road who you feed every day [laughs]
MD: Yes [laughs]
MS: And who looks, who looks after you.
MD: Yes.
MS: Right. Ok then, Ron it’s at the moment it’s twenty seven minutes past ten and I’m about to start the interview. If at any stage during the interview you feel uncomfortable, you want a loo break or anything like that just say so and we’ll stop the interview. We’ll pause it. And also, Mary, one of your reasons for being here is to make sure that we don’t tire Ron or not look after him. Are you alright with that?
MD: Yes.
MS: Ok. Right. Ron you’ve given me a map here of Hull and on it you’ve annotated where the bombs dropped etcetera. Where did you live? What was the name of the Road?
RH: St Paul’s Street. In a little terrace.
MS: Where are we?
RH: Just a moment. Where are we?
MS: There’s St Paul’s Street.
RH: It’s that. Fountain Road. There’s that, that one look. That one there.
MS: Right. And there’s a mark on it.
RH: Line of bombs there look.
MS: That’s it. Now, you lived near a railway line, didn’t you?
RH: Yes. You’ve, yes, that’s the — yeah.
MS: And on here you’ve marked where the bombs fell and one of those bombs appears to have fallen right on the house.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Where you lived.
RH: Yeah.
MS: So, do you want to tell us about that? First of all, how old were you?
RH: It was a terrace which, with maybe seven houses on each side and in the middle was a shelter for the residents.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Right.
MS: Good. Yeah. An air raid shelter.
RH: Yes. Yes, it was. Yeah.
MS: Right.
RH: Because all the streets had them down them in them days, as well.
MS: Right. Describe the shelter to me then.
RH: Yeah.
MS: What was the shelter like?
RH: Pardon?
MS: What was the shelter like? What was it made of?
RH: [laughter] It’s no good showing you on there is it?
MS: No.
RH: But that’s it there. It depends on the size of the shelter but they’d bunk beds, look.
MS: Yeah.
RH: So, they’d get three in there look, you see. They was awful. The smell. Awful.
MS: Go on. Tell us.
RH: The smell was awful. The air was foul. You couldn’t open the door because the air raid wardens used to keep saying, ‘Keep them doors shut.’ You know, you couldn’t go out and see what was happening but oh it just, the smell and that and the damp, sweat. The longer you was in, I mean, you was maybe in all night. So that was it. Toilets. Everything was a big problem.
MS: Ok. Were there toilets in there?
RH: Pardon?
MS: Were there toilets in there?
RH: No.
MS: No.
RH: No. if I remember rightly, as I was saying to Mary they put a drum in the corner but you was asked only use it in emergencies.
MS: Right.
RH: But it depends how long you was in there, you see.
MS: You’ve got men and women in there at the same time.
RH: Yes. And children. Yeah.
MS: What, what arrangements did they make for privacy?
RH: What?
MS: Did they put blankets up to give privacy or anything like that?
RH: I’m not catching you.
MS: Ok. If somebody wanted to use the loo.
RH: Oh yeah.
MS: How did they give you some, some privacy?
RH: Well you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t ‘cause there wasn’t such a thing was there?
MS: Right.
RH: It was, it was, it was just survival when you was in there because the shelter would rock. You’d know and you’d think is that my house gone? Is it next door’s? Is it down the next street?
MS: Yeah.
RH: You just didn’t know. It was the size of the bomb. All them are different bombs look. The big ones, they’re real big. The big boys look.
MS: Yeah.
RH: So it, it was a worrying time. They’d sing their heads off, and knit and God knows what. You know.
MS: A bit like a party. Right. Now, how old were you when the war started? About three?
RH: I would be, yes.
MS: Right.
RH: Yeah. I would be. Yes. Yeah.
MS: Ok, so tell me about the night your house got bombed.
RH: Sorry. What?
MS: Tell me about the night when your house got bombed.
RH: I was staying, luckily with my grandmother which was my mother’s mother.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Again, in an area what got bombed ever so badly. I stayed with her that night because my dad was in the National Fire Service which meant he had to be on duty that night. So, he asked, asked granny if I could stop with her the night and fortunately for us it was the one night when the bomb hit the place. So, so it was luckily I was staying with my grandmother that night otherwise it would have been — well I wouldn’t have been here now interviewing, would I?
MS: No. No. When you stayed with your gran were you in a shelter or in her house?
RH: In the house but my grandmother was one that would never use the shelter. The older people were stubborn. My grandmother would always say, I’d said to Mary, in them days you could go to the corner shop and buy beer out of a barrel and she used to get a jug of ale. Even send me. She’d say, ‘Go across and get me a jug of ale.’ They knew who it was for. She’d put it aside of her and say, ‘Let Jerry come over tonight. I’m alright.’ She’d, and when she’d cleared the daughters and everybody, me, into their shelters but she would not. She’d say, ‘Open the doors. Open the windows. Let the blast through if it comes,’ and they’d sit there and that was it. That’s how they was. They just didn’t care and the people on her terrace would maybe be the same. They’d only, if they had children, they’d maybe take them in the shelters but a lot of them just wouldn’t move. They’d just say, ‘Jerry aint going to move me.’ So —
MS: Right. Now, when we had a little chat earlier you told me that somebody then told you the next day your house had been hit. Is that right?
RH: Somebody got?
MS: Did somebody tell your dad your house had been hit?
RH: Yes. One of his firemen mates when they got back to the station. He was on the docks.
MS: Yeah.
RH: So, he, you know and I could tell you about my dad on the docks but —
MS: Go on then.
RH: I don’t know whether it wants recording.
MS: Go on. It’s alright. You’d be surprised.
RH: No [laughs] When we, we moved from here we got another house up Beverley Road. Up, up this area. Stepney Lane, they called it.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And when he used to come home, he used to bring stuff home what they’d salvaged. So, if you remember them days there was tatty little old fire engines.
MS: Yeah.
RH: But he’d come back and he’d bring a box of chocolate. Drinking chocolate. Which, we didn’t know what it was.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And he would say to me, ‘Right Ronnie. Go around the Street. Tell them all to come down with a jug,’ and he’d sit at the front door and fill everybody’s thing.
MS: Oh nice.
RH: Or if it was a roll of curtain everybody in the terrace had the same curtains [laughs] you know. Anything like that. But this bit, I don’t know whether it should be recorded. He used to say well we’ve got, ‘When we go on the docks if the docks are getting hit we’d go on and if there’s a Yankee ship,’ he says, they used to amaze us because they’ve all got guns on which a lot of ours didn’t carry but the Yanks would have the guns on. So, he says, ‘We used to go in and help ourselves.’ And they said, ‘Well, where were the Yanks?’ We’d say and he said, ‘We knew where they was ‘cause as we passed the shelter, we could hear their teeth rattling.’ [laughs] And I said [laughs] I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘They all run to the shelter. So,’ he said, ‘We used to go on the ship and have a look around,’ and this is where these boxes of chocolate —
MS: Is this where you salvaged stuff?
RH: Yeah. Chewing gum. Yeah. No, they used to go in and roam around the ship and find the storeroom and they’d say, ‘Oh we’ll have that.’ And of course then my dad used to share it all out, you know. But, but I don’t know whether [laughs] —
MS: He’s not around, still is he?
RH: He used to say, no, he always knew where they was.
MS: Yeah.
[laughter]
MS: Now then, tell me what you saw when you got to your house.
RH: What? When I got up.
MS: When you got to the house it was bombed, yeah?
RH: Well, yeah. I mean, it was frightening. It was. It was frightening to see it, and I say I’m not sure, again me and Mary was talking about it. I’m not sure whether the shelter top had fell in. They used these chaps who I go to, one of them says to me, ‘That got it real bad.’ He said, ‘A friend of mine went to rescue on that day. They got it,’ he said and they couldn’t do a thing because the concrete. The wall for some reason had given. The concrete had come down on them but that’s only what I was told. And of course, that’s maybe where these young kiddies — there was, I think, it’s on there somewhere they was four and seven or something like that. Two girls and their parents was killed. So, so it could have been that what’s done it you see.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Crushed them. I don’t, but —
MS: And what did you find in the debris? Was there anything that you salvaged?
RH: Well [laughter] well, I got a red lorry. All bent up. Yeah. But we did get a butter dish [laughs]
MS: You did get a butter dish.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Right. Tell us about the lorry and what your dad did.
RH: Oh, I had it for years and years afterwards. It was, it was a family treasure and then as you get older you recall these things, don’t you? But can I just —
MS: Yeah. Sure.
RH: Tell you another one. Mary said you ought to be told.
MS: Before you move on to that, if you don’t mind, you told me earlier that you found the lorry and it was badly damaged.
RH: Yes.
MS: And what did your dad do?
RH: Well, just took it back to my grandmother’s and then got an hammer and he tried to bring it back as good as he could. I mean, I thought it was brilliant because we didn’t have toys. The station where he was, we used to walk down to it and they always had the doors open ready for a quick — but all the men used to be making rocking horses and, you know, them clowns on wires.
MS: Oh yeah.
RH: And all these things and they used to be doing that for the children that had lost everything. So, I was alright. I got little bits that way you see but, but yeah, no Mary this morning says tell them what, being a lad, to us as I say it was fantastic. We went in town as kids and the bus station had been hit.
MS: Yeah.
RH: So, all the buses was in this big room. Well, we thought it was fantastic. We’d all them buses to ourselves. We went to another building and I know this sounds silly doesn’t it but the lift, there’s a cable down the middle. We put cloths around our hands and jumped to catch the wire. So, I must have been about eightish then. Seven or eight. And we slid down and as we slipped down [bang] on the back of the head. And we went, ‘What’s that?’ And it was a policeman and he gave us all a good hiding. I mean he really belted into us. So, he said, ‘Now go home and tell your dad and your mother that the policeman’s done it. My number is,’ so and so, ‘And report me if your dare.’ And we thought, ‘What’s he on about?’ And then we found out later in life it’s where Hull records was kept and there was a policeman at the door on duty. It got a direct hit and it just, they never found him.
MS: Oh.
RH: The policeman. They found his helmet somewhere and that was all they ever found. So that’s why we got punished that day for it.
MS: Got you.
RH: And that was in, in the town itself. Right in the town centre it was.
MS: Right.
RH: But, and then another time, Mary said you must know what, it’s an awkward one isn’t it? We, we went out one day and a chemist near us, again near my Grandma Brown had been, the area had had a bomb and the fish and chip shop had gone and all that but the chemist. So, we goes in as kids and you know them big bottles they have in the window there?
MS: Oh the carboys.
RH: Beautiful.
MS: Yeah.
RH: They’re still there. Oh, get a brick, you know, so we smashed them so I always feel guilty every time I see them nowadays and of course the lads would break into all these little drawers with wires and of course the lads — chocolate. All this chocolate. You know what’s coming.
MS: [laughs] I do.
RH: Honestly there’s about four of us. Well we sat down. Wow. Chocolate. Oh, this is what chocolate tastes like. Brilliant. About an hour later we’re passing, we’re going back to my Grandma Brown’s area and there’s a river, a little river, with a bank. We all go down there. We drop off our pants. We’re all sat on the grass and all the women was on the bridge shouting, ‘You mucky little devils.’ ‘You want your — ’ you know.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And all that, and we can’t understand this. We can’t understand it. The lads were saying, ‘But this isn’t natural is it?’ And as I say we was all lined up and they were all stood on the bridge. Everybody was giving us it and we didn’t, we couldn’t say, ‘Well we’ve had laxative.’ Could we? [laughs]
MS: You’d had Ex-Lax.
RH: So. you know, so [laughs] so I’ve never seen, touched laxative to this day.
MS: In a sense you’ve never needed to.
RH: But honestly it was so simple and so desperate.
MS: How did you treat the area? You told me earlier it was you and your mates.
RH: It was. It was a bad. It was bad. It was bad, bad. That’s only the little area of Hull that but it —
MS: No. I mean from your attitude how did you see the area? Was it an adventure?
RH: Well, brilliant for kids. For our age group it was brilliant. I mean this school. This St Paul’s Street School. Do you know I can even remember the teacher saying, ‘What’s them up there?’ And we said, oh, you know, whatever they are, ‘Oh the Lancasters going over.’ And you know you think that wasn’t right was it? Watching things like that. And then they’d you’d go in the shelter. But Grandma Brown and all this area was very British. Really British.
MS: Yeah.
RH: All the walls was covered in, “Doing a good job lads.” “Soon be home lads.” You know. “God save the king,” and all this. Every wall you went, terraces, all over. Shelters. They was all covered in it.
MS: Any flags?
RH: Eh?
MS: Any flags?
RH: Well, as much as they could. I mean in them days.
MS: Yeah.
RH: That wasn’t the thing was it? But it’s, they was brilliant, people really. They was.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Brilliant.
MS: Tell us what you were telling me earlier when you’d go down the road with your mates and you’d see a bombed building and you’d see cupboards hanging out and stuff like that.
RH: Yeah.
MS: What were you, what did you do then?
RH: Well to us it was just another house gone, you know. And to be honest looking back as a, as a child I can’t even remember thinking, ‘Oh I hope little George’s mam and dad’s alright because that’s where he lives.’ You know, you never thought of that. You just thought see if that’s like that tonight [laughter] you know, we’ll have a — it was, yeah, it was, I think, I think these people helped you to be like that because they never showed worry. And I say my Granny Brown used to come. She’d shout, ‘Hey Mavis.’ And Mavis would come out and they’d stand and Lancs would be going over and they’d be counting them, ‘I make it twenty just gone over. What do you make it, Mavis?’ ‘Yes, oh, I made it nineteen.’ And then so many hours later the lads would come back wouldn’t they and then they’d go, ‘Tch we’ve lost three.’ You know. ‘We’ve lost four.’ That’s the only time you’d see them say, ‘Oh dear, dear, dear,’ you know, ‘We’ve lost a couple,’ or whatever. But the Jerries used to just come over the Humber. I mean you used to think they was letting them in. I mean they’d come over like mad. It was, it was, oh it was a regular thing. You may as well have waved to them, the Jerries. It sounds daft, doesn’t it?
MS: No. It doesn’t.
RH: They was coming down the Humber but you’d get I was reading some of them that up to thirty or forty Jerry planes coming down but they weren’t all after Hull. They used to go out, bomb Sheffield or wherever. On the way back if they’ve ought left, they just let it all just drop on here, you see.
MS: Yeah.
RH: But —
MS: Did you lose any friends?
RH: No. Not, not what I’m aware of but there again you don’t know ‘cause a lot got sent away. When I come out the army and I went back to my job I worked at a tannery somewhere up here around ‘cause the River Hull ain’t on here even you see.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Yeah. There’s a tannery. A fairly big place but I worked there and I went back and you know the lads used to say to me, ‘Do you know, if you’ve been in Lincoln —' I was with the Royal Lincs you see.
MS: There’s the tannery.
RH: Yeah. Well, I went back there and I’d done my National Service and the lads would say, ‘Oh well I went to, I was posted. I was sent out as a child. Do you know a place called Bardney at Lincoln?’ I used to say, ‘Yes.’ And they used to say, ‘Oh there were hundreds of us sent to Bardney.’
MS: Just down the Road.
RH: And places it like that. And Washingborough.
MS: Yeah.
RH: They was all you know, they knew and I’d say, ‘No, I’ve been posted. I’m in Lincoln. I’ve been posted with the Royal Lincolns.’ They’d say, ‘Oh we never got into Lincoln but we went, we was on the farms.’ So, I lost a lot that way, you see. Their parents shoved them off where, you know. I suppose with my situation my dad wanted me there with him.
MS: Yeah. And you say about your situation.
RH: Yeah. Yeah.
MS: Can you just explain about that?
RH: And opposite. Opposite us where them bombs come down. Yes, that’s, just opposite there was a little pawn shop. I always remember. And as a kid I used to take my dad’s suit over on and you know, the old story take it over, put it in. Get some money for the weekend so he could have a few pounds. You know. Used to take the suit out for the weekend.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And yeah, and put it in Monday’s and you know it’s —
MS: Life went on.
RH: It’s marvellous isn’t it?
MS: Yeah. Life went on. Now you said a minute ago you referred to your situation. You were living with your dad because something rather sad happened didn’t it?
RH: I was, sorry?
MS: You were living with your dad.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Because something rather sad happened to you, didn’t it?
RH: Yeah. He got married again when we’d moved from here.
MS: But you lost your mother, didn’t you?
RH: Yes. Yeah. It was a step-mother obviously and we just, of course she had her own family then so it made it worse and worse for me all the time. It was unbelievable but at any rate —
MS: Ok. Where did you, where did you live when you were bombed out?
RH: We went to, just [pause] down, it’s Rodney Street. Somewhere there.
MS: There’s Rodney Street.
RH: Yeah. That’s where my Grandma Brown lived so you know they, I remember all this happening. We lived in a place called Blake Street and it was somewhere around Rodney Street. Somewhere in this area, I think.
MS: Blake Street.
RH: Blake Street.
MS: Can’t see that. There was a lot of stuff falling around your granny’s house wasn’t there?
RH: Well —
MS: That’s where she lived.
RH: Yeah. They’ve all been pulled down now and rebuilt now. They’re all like motorways and God knows what like. But yeah, it’s —
MS: What’s your, what’s your strongest memory from the wartime?
RH: I think [pause] well little bits. I think that going back to that house and finding my lorry and then thinking back now and then — the Brown family. One of the sons was in the navy and they had a big party one night and all his mates came who was going on the ship. They went to Newcastle. They got on a ship and it went out and it went. It turned over, apparently in the ice. So, they was all lost. I remember that night when everybody was happy and kissing and saying, they’d let you know when they get back and all that so. There’s that. There’s my lorry. There’s the people. The people. The area. It was, yeah. So, it’s —
MS: It wasn’t a sad time was it?
RH: Pardon?
MS: It wasn’t a sad time was it?
RH: No. No. No. Sent us way down. Well it’s here look, the start of it.
MS: Yeah. No, I mean, I mean you didn’t have a bad childhood, did you? is that what you were telling me earlier? You had a, you actually, you just got on with it didn’t you?
RH: I’ve just —?
MS: Didn’t you, I’ve just had to raise my voice a bit. You just got on with life, didn’t you?
RH: Oh yes.
MS: That’s what you were telling me earlier.
RH: Definitely. No. Definitely. Oh no, they got to. As I say yes so we went to school with bits of cardboard in the bottom of your shoes like everybody else. A cornflake box or summat, but you know. We was cold and wet and miserable. Gaslights wasn’t it? But, but yeah it was, it was nice. And the other memory I’ve got of seeing about three trawlers in the Humber and I can remember seeing them with the bits stuck up where Jerry got them, didn’t they? Three I think there was.
MS: Oh right. I didn’t know about that.
RH: Yeah. In the Humber. So, they were stuck there. They were still there in 1950-odd I would think.
MS: Were they?
RH: Yeah. Yeah. They was. They was just stuck. I think they were just trying to get into port and it’s I sometimes do wonder how Grimsby’s still there. Because I think of all that, all the gun work going on and I think Grimsby [laughs] was only across the water.
MS: Yeah.
RH: You know, and you think don’t put the guns too low mate or you’re going to hit Grimsby [laughs] you know. And I often think about that and I think well the planes obviously must have got it weighed up coming in. Then there was the two forts wasn’t there? In the Humber which —
MS: Oh yeah.
RH: Yeah. There’s two forts. Fort Paul and I forgot the other one. They had a net across, I think. Submarine net. And I know just as the war finished the dock in the centre of the town had two or three submarines there. I think they was German what had surrendered.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And the worst thing that happened was the day everybody in Hull thought it was over. They all went down. My grandmother, all of us, even my old granny, we went down to the town. All the Yanks come and they put the lights on. Well we’d never seen them. The fountain lit up you know and all that, you know. It was absolutely fantastic but that happened on one of the roads, Holderness Road and there’s a plaque there now up on Boyes’ shop. They came out the cinema thinking it was all over. They put the lights on and as they come out a Jerry plane decided he didn’t like the idea of peace and he went down and de de de de [machine gun noise] and then he got twelve of them coming out the cinema and they thought it was all over. They’d been told it was finished but what happened here I don’t know but he went down and so there’s, there’s a plaque up. There was twelve. The last twelve, the last people in Britain killed were in the war was them twelve.
MS: That’s terrible. I didn’t, I’ve never heard of that.
RH: Didn’t you?
MS: No.
RH: Yeah. Yeah. The last. The last people killed in the last war was there. Yeah.
MS: Not very nice. Right.
RH: But yes but sad days isn’t it really when you look at it? I go now when me and my brother will wander around. I’ll go around all, some of these areas and yeah, they bring back memories. But —
MS: How did they, I asked you earlier but can you tell me on tape, how did the school deal with losing children? What did they do?
RH: Nothing. No. I can’t remember anything. All we did, we had assembly in the morning and of course it was always, “For Those in Danger on the Sea.” And, you know, it was all, we sang hymns and we used to get things like, you know, ‘Right children, Tommy Brown won’t be here unfortunately. His house got bombed last night and we’ve lost him.’ But that, you know, and we just said, ‘Oh dear.’ You know.
MS: And moved on.
RH: Yeah. You know, you know as I say, you know, you look at that lot and some poor devils there hadn’t had much chance had they, look?
MS: No. Nor here where all these clusters are.
RH: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
MS: Yeah, these I’m looking at a, I’m looking at a plan that has been given to me by Ron and on it are all the bombs that dropped.
RH: Yeah.
MS: In that particular area of Hull and he’s pointing out that particular cluster.
RH: Yeah. So that would be one plane wouldn’t it look, that would have been one big line—
MS: That looks like a stick. Yeah.
RH: He’s dropped them and gone back home then has he?
MS: Yeah. So, he has. But the other thing that intrigues me is there’s quite a few railway stations around where you lived.
RH: Yeah. Oh, there is. Yeah. They had the Stepney Lane which I lived near and because that house we had here we moved again to a place [pause] where’s the tannery?
MS: There’s the tannery.
RH: Here. Farringdon Street, somewhere. Stepney Lane.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Yeah. Here look, you see. We moved there look [laughs] then we got all that again. Look.
MS: Yeah.
RH: And now all of the houses on one side of the street we lived, six foot off the window was the shelters with three foot gaps in.
MS: Yeah.
RH: For you to walk through. But all the shelters, the houses opposite was blown to smithereens and it was all open ground. But them houses, all ours just got the windows blown out. The shelters —
MS: Yeah.
RH: Saved a lot of it but so it was just everywhere you moved so you just thought well let’s hope he doesn’t go for this area ‘cause you never knew what the hell they was aiming at look.
MS: No.
RH: What was they after?
MS: No. I know what you mean.
RH: It was a morale wasn’t it? Just it’s —
MS: Well, it was an important port as well wasn’t it?
RH: And then, and of course what upsets all the people in Hull and it still does to this day that nobody knew Hull was getting it because Churchill wouldn’t, it was, it’s only come out in the last ten years hasn’t it? This, the thing. Churchill said it’s only can be called a town in the northeast. You must not mention Hull because Hitler thinks he isn’t getting nowhere. If you mention about all the bombing, he’ll be rubbing his hands and apparently when they found one of his offices, he had a full scale map of Hull. Every building in it. And they said that they must have had somebody working there a long while before the war. He knew exactly where he wanted to be.
MS: You know, I want to ask you a question. I was talking to somebody else who said that just before the war started a balloon, a manned balloon actually, a German one, came up the river and over Hull. Do you remember that?
RH: Oh, the, oh the balloon.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Yeah. Oh, do you mean the aircraft wires?
MS: No. The, somebody told me who I interviewed told me that the Germans, before the war, sometime before 1939 brought a balloon right up the river.
RH: Oh, Hull got bombed by airship.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Yeah. It got bombed and my dad said, he said, ‘The damned thing went right over,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t mind but, in some parts, it took the chimney pots off.’ Yeah. It went over and then I don’t know if it was a British one or what but one come down in the Humber. Right in the middle. It landed on a sandbank I think but I don’t know what happened to them.
MS: No.
RH: But yeah. No. Them balloons. They had them on the Humber.
MS: The barrage balloons.
RH: On the barges yeah, didn’t they?
MS: Yeah.
RH: But again, when I lived on Beverley Road on where, just at Stepney Lane a balloon broke loose from one of the parks. The Pearson’s Park.
MS: That’s it.
RH: Yeah. It broke. The RAF had this balloon thing so as kids we used to go and watch it. And they used to [wham?] didn’t they in them days and one broke loose and of course it went bumped across all these chimneys. And [laughs] and in the end it come down in Nicholson Street or somewhere which is here somewhere. It says there Stepney Lane. Where’s Stepney Lane?
MS: Stepney Lane runs across.
RH: Yeah. Yeah.
MS: There’s Stepney Lane.
RH: Yeah. Oh, that’s it. yes. So, it came down Nicholson Street any road and it finished up everybody had silver shopping bags after that.
MS: Because they were made of a silver material.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Oh right.
RH: Yeah. If you asked anybody in Hull about silver shopping bags getting on, they’ll tell you what, what it was. It come down and as I said I think they just let the women help themselves to it because I don’t know what happened to it. But yeah, that took all the chimneys off as it was going. Rolling over. So, they couldn’t get hold of it because it just kept bump, bump. Over the tops. So yeah, it’s —
MS: Do you remember, do you remember the war ending?
RH: Do I —?
MS: Remember the end of the war? Do you remember the end being declared?
RH: Oh yeah. When we all were, yeah, and all the town lit up and all that. Oh yeah. And the Yanks. They had jeeps, didn’t they? We had bikes didn’t we but they had jeeps. But yeah, the, a lot of the bombed building areas obviously they piled all the wood and lit it so there were bonfires all over. The Yanks was giving kids, me and all of us was climbing on the jeeps and they was riding around with us. And I mean it was a treat. We’d never. We were still using ruddy tram cars in, in Hull at that time.
MS: Do you remember the rationing?
RH: Eh?
MS: Do you remember the rationing?
RH: Oh God yes. Yes. I do. I do. Yeah. I do. Yeah. Certainly, do yeah.
MS: Were you, were you short of food or hungry?
RH: Oh God. Always. Always. Yeah. I mean they used to queue up for [pause] I’ve been where one of the, my grandmother’s daughters, I went with her and I think we was queuing, it was either for whale meat or what was the other one Mary? Whale meat or horse meat was it? Yeah.
MD: Horse meat.
RH: Yeah. And queuing for whale meat. If we could get some get it, you know. Bloody big queue and you’d stand there [shiver noises]
MS: Freezing.
RH: Yeah. And when you came out you came out with a little packet. But they made a meal of it. Tripe, you know. Stuff like that. Some of the houses, if they could get hold of flour and stuff in them days they used to do, we used to call them hot cakes in Yorkshire. And they was about that big and that thick. Homemade. About an inch deep but what they used to do is you used to get up at five in the morning and go to Mrs Jackson down the Street. She’d open a front bedroom window and she’d sell them. Them cakes. When they’ve gone, they’ve gone?
MS: Yeah.
RH: And then another day somebody would, you’d say, ‘Get down there tomorrow she’s doing scones,’ you know. And this is how it used to be. And as kids we used to love it, think it was great. One house used to do some meat pies. I often wonder what was in them [laughter] but they used to do meat pies but when you went you got a meat pie but obviously they was cut into three and four but at the same time you took your jug with you and you had your meat pie and they give you a jug of gravy to go with it. But this was the people. That’s what I’m saying. They’re the type of people who wants to share everything. You know. Nothing was, nothing was yours. You shared everything which, which meant Mary knows about. The same thing. It was, it was stick together and we’ll beat the buggers, you know.
MS: Right.
RH: You know.
MS: What did you do after the war then? You were still at school.
RH: The what?
MS: You were still at school after the war.
RH: I would say yes. Yes. And as I say we left at fourteen and as I say I went to that tan yard. The only reason I went there was because my step-mother wanted money. And by my going there it was a mucky, filthy, stinking job so you got money. So, when I come out the army, I went back just, which you had to because they kept your job open didn’t they, for you to, you know. So, I went back and then I thought hang on you’ve just been in the Catering Corps. You’ve been up to Catterick. You’ve been to Aldershot. You’ve passed all the courses. Why don’t you go for chefing? Which I did do and it wasn’t long and I made head chef in a big place, didn’t I? At Cottingham. I took Mary to show where I used to be and then I come over to Lincoln. I’d run The Green Dragon for a bit and then The Centurion and then I had my own place up the High Street. I used to do a lot of RAF dos. They was a bloody nuisance at times but —
MS: What place did you run on the High Street?
RH: The Lindum Restaurant was, it was above the mini-market in them days. We used to do dancing.
MS: Oh right.
RH: And all that. But we used to get a lot from Scampton. A lot of parties. There used to be, I used to know all the sergeants in them days and they was good as far as they’d always pinch stuff. Always pinched stuff when they had a drink. They used to get plastered. So, I used to check up and then I’d ring him up and say, ‘Right. I’m missing one soda syphon,’ [laughter] so and so. He’d say, ‘Don’t worry Ron. I’ve got them here.’ You know. And he’d come back and bring them back and he’d say, ‘Anything, we’ll pay for it. Any damage,’ you know. So, I used to have loads of dinners and dances with them, so, you know, but that’s how I got in to Lincoln. I married a Washingborough girl and we lived in Hull for about ten years and then she decided she wanted to come back to mummy.
MS: Right.
RH: And daddy. So, I did. Her father used to say to me, ‘We stood in Washingborough watching Hull burn. And we couldn’t do a thing about it.’ And then anybody I talked to in the RAF would say, ‘When we come out of Norway, we could watch Hull burning from Norway. Could actually see it,’ and you’d think, good God.
MS: That’s a coincidence. I interviewed someone in Washingborough.
RH: Isn’t it?
MS: And they told me exactly what you said.
RH: Is it?
MS: Somebody told me exactly what you’ve just said.
RH: Had they?
MS: They could stand on the side of the river.
RH: Yeah.
MS: In Washingborough or in Heighington.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And just see what fires.
RH: What fires. Yes. Yeah. They did and as I said as far as, well the other side of the North Sea they used to see it. In fact I’ve got a tape somewhere, years old and it’s a chap in a ship and he’s saying, ‘We’ve just come,’ I think it was barge, ‘Come out of Lincoln into the Humber but,’ he said, ‘We’re stuck here, we can’t go across to Hull because we’re stood here watching it get blown to smithereens. And we’ve got families there and we can’t do a thing about it’ And I thought well that’s says it all doesn’t it?
MS: Did you witness the fires when you were a child? Did you see the fires?
RH: Oh God yes. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh aye. My dad made sure I did. He used to — there was a big museum in Hull and, a massive thing, I’ll always remember it. It had aeroplanes along the ceilings and that. A museum. My dad took me one morning. He said, ‘Come and have a look where I was last night.’ We went and it was, it had got a direct hit. Everything was lost in it. All records. Everything, you know and I says, ‘Oh dear,’ and he says, ‘Yeah we was here all night. This is where your dad’s been all night with this fire.’ And as they did one, you see, there was another but I don’t know if you know they had things like runners. Did you, did you know?
MS: No.
RH: All over Hull was children of maybe fourteen or fifteen with a bike and they used to stand on corners so if they stood here and say you’re there and that bomb fell they would jump on their bike and get to the nearest fire brigade or whatever there was.
MS: Yeah.
RH: To inform them what had happened because there was quite a few bombs landed in gardens and didn’t go off. Them little kids jumped on their bikes and off like mad and they used to run around and that, that was genuine that. And that was their job. Just, just running. Just telling them there’s a bomb dropped in so and so street so they’d say in a minute or they’d send someone down you know and things like that and then clear the area but there’s quite a lot. Years after the war they found them butterfly bombs.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Stuck in, in the lofts. Blokes would go in the lofts and say, ‘Oh my God, you’ve got two stuck,’ [laughs] you know. And there was, there was —
MS: Hull got it.
RH: The, the incendiary. The flat bottomed bomb with the thing on the top. My dad literally and I’ve said to Mary I can’t believe it now when I think. People would say, ‘Len, I’ve had a bomb dropped in the back and it hasn’t gone off.’ And he’d say ok and he’d go around and bring it and I think I was sat next to him. and he used to be, ‘Don’t worry it’s only one of them.’ And it would be an incendiary would it maybe?
MS: Yeah.
RH: They was. They was flat.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Flat but like that and then the blades on hasn’t it?
MS: That’s it.
RH: Yeah. And he used to do that and he’d say that’s it. That’s alright and I’d be there [laughter]
MS: And you’re miming your father disarming an incendiary bomb with you sitting next to him.
RH: Yeah. I know but I look back on it and you think it can’t be right. This can’t be.
MS: It probably was.
RH: But it, it’s how they was. He was saving some family being blown possibly so he thought well if I do it it’s only my son and me [laughter] you know. But no, it’s, it is strange. It’s strange when I look back on it now. It’s, It’s, yeah, it is unbelievable but —
MS: Did you actually witness any bombing? Did you see any bombing yourself?
RH: Well no because we run for the nearest cover didn’t, we?
MS: Yeah.
RH: But, I mean, you knew who was dropping them. You’d see. See them come over. One’d come over and you’d think oh my God. I stayed with an aunt. Oh, on there, it’s on the map up here. I stayed with an aunt and opposite her, like where your car is, there was big guns.
MS: Oh right.
RH: So, on the night the houses were [imitating buzzing sound] when there was. But in that field where they was a flying bomb landed. That was one of the first the British got. It didn’t go off. It come down. They got it and found out a lot from it, didn’t you say?
MS: Yeah.
RH: Wouldn’t you say. And I remember we had the shelters in the garden. They built the shelters didn’t they and soil over it and that.
MS: Oh. The Andersons.
RH: We come out, yeah, we came out of one of them and then I says, ‘Oh,’ and she says, ‘Oh God, look at that,’ and there was this Jerry bomber stuck in the actual house a few doors up.
MS: A bomber.
RH: Well yeah. The big, well a big plane, yeah.
MS: Right. No, no.
RH: It wasn’t a fighter.
MS: No. I was making sure you weren’t saying a bomb.
RH: Yeah.
MS: It was an actual aeroplane.
RH: Yeah. No, and it was actually stuck in the roof, this thing and they just said, ‘Oh well. They brought that bugger down didn’t they?’ That was it, you know. You’d think that they needed medals didn’t they? You know, you look at it now they could be sirs, weren’t they? Sirs and ladies. Yeah.
MS: Absolutely. I know. I know.
RH: But no, I mean you didn’t actually see. You used to hear them. You could hear [whistling] You knew they was coming down you see, but no its, it’s just everyday life. It was then I’m afraid and you had to put up with it didn’t you? What could you do?
MS: You got on with it.
RH: You, well you couldn’t do anything.
MS: No.
RH: Again, you look at it, you know I think about all these old people and you think, you know, most of them are on the disk there. These people that got clobbered and you think what the hell was it all about?
MS: How many people died in Hull?
RH: Oh dear [pause] I got all this for you, look.
MS: I know. You’re a star.
RH: The big bombing do’s lot.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Just times.
MS: You said earlier —
RH: There you are.
MS: There we go. Right.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Let’s have a look.
RH: You’ve got over, yeah. There’s one thousand two hundred people, look. Lost their lives.
MS: Yeah.
RH: But these, they make it clear these were only the people they found. There’s all them what was never found. There’s three, three thousand look, people were seriously injured. Out of the one thousand, well a hundred and ninety two thousand houses look. There’s only five left look.
MS: Only five thousand escaped damage did they?
RH: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Look. So, it’s two hundred and fifty two thousand, look. Houses, churches.
MS: You’ve got there a hundred and fifty two thousand people were homeless at one time or another.
RH: Yeah. Yeah.
MS: Right.
RH: So, you can have that.
MS: Thank you. That’s very kind.
RH: I don’t know if these are any good to you. I mean —
MS: Are you sure you want to hand these over because —
RH: No. Actually, I bought them because I’ve already got them.
MS: Right.
RH: Actually, Fosse School was it? No, it was Robert Patt’s. The teacher gave them, gave them some, you see. I mean that’s the shelter you saw. That’s that thing. That’s what we had to put up with every day. Look.
MS: What’s that there? What is it?
RH: These are all, yeah, bombings. That’s a shelter what —
MS: That’s an Anderson shelter flattened.
RH: Yeah.
MS: You’re showing me a photograph of a house that’s been bombed and next to it is the remains of the Anderson shelter.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Which is totally flattened.
RH: Yeah. So that’s that. That’s your Spitfire thing raising money wasn’t it?
MS: Yeah.
RH: For the Spitfire. That’s another mess look.
MS: Right.
RH: Firemen and that, digging. Look. And air raid wardens.
MS: That’s one of your balloons on a barge.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Yeah.
RH: Yeah. That’s it. And that’s that thing. That’s the cenotaph because there’s only two in Britain. You know that do you?
MS: No. I knew about the cenotaph in London.
RH: No.
MS: But there’s one in Hull.
RH: There’s only, there’s only two. That’s one in London. One in Hull.
MS: Right.
RH: And the funny thing is it’s a Royal Lincolnshire Regiment bloke mentioned on these. Yeah.
MS: Right.
RH: Yeah. So, as I say that’s the, the thing, look. That is my, that’s well that’s that one that you’ve got isn’t it?
MS: Yeah. Is there anything else you think of that you want to talk about on the archive? You know. The Digital Archive.
RH: The what? Sorry.
MS: Is there anything else that you want to record? Your memory.
RH: No.
MS: For the Digital Archive.
RH: Not really. Not really. That’s about your zeppelin look.
MS: Let’s have a look.
RH: I’ll give you them look, because I did them.
MS: Right.
RH: I got them for you because you said that you might be interested, you see. So —
MS: Well it’s been very useful using the map.
RH: So, I thought, well, you can.
MS: Yeah. Let’s have a look.
RH: You can use them. That is — I told you I lost my mother.
MS: Yes.
RH: I tried to find the grave. Nobody would tell me where she was. Even her sisters. Nobody would ever told me where she was. So, about four year back or so I went to Hull and my brother and his wife said, ‘Well, we’ll find out.’ So, they rang up, Henry, and we got an interview. So, we went down and this bloke gets this book out and he says, ‘Yes. I know where she’s buried.’ So, and so. And then he said, ‘Hang on, it says refer to another book.’ So, he opens another book and he says, ‘Oh. Your mother, a brother, two children and your grandad. Your great grandad. They’re all in the same grave’. And I says, ‘Five in a grave?’ He says, ‘Yes, they are.’ So, I says, ‘What do we do?’ This chap took us down. He showed us a blade of grass and he says, ‘There you are, look. In there. They’re in there. But we can’t tell you where because in them days they had a piece of wood and somebody kicked them out the way.’ So, he says, ‘They’re in there somewhere.’ And he stood like this on this stone and he says, ‘Number 287,’ or whatever it was. And then he looked and he says, ‘Hang on a minute. This stone’s 287.’ So, we walked around the other side and it’s a war grave.
MS: Oh.
RH: Big Royal Lincoln’s badge on it. And he says, ‘Do you know where Lincoln is?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he says, ‘Well, do you know ought about the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment?’ I said, ‘Yes. I was with them.’ So, he says, ‘Well isn’t that something.’ He says, ‘This is your grandad’s war grave.’ And I says, ‘But why is there all these other people in it? Children and that. He says, ‘I don’t know.’
MS: It was the war.
RH: And it’s a, and it’s a new one It’s not that little one, it’s a nice one. And it’s a big one where the war graves are narrow aren’t they, you know? Yeah. And beautiful stone. So that was just the area look. Where he is.
MS: And what a coincidence that your mother’s buried in that site of the regiment you later joined.
RH: I know, it’s, I can’t understand the children. And so, I’ve looked it all up, Henry, and [laughter] why it’s been kept quiet is because one of my aunts was two little children, her husband was in the First World War wasn’t he? And it’s his grave.
MS: Right.
RH: So, he died of gas I reckon because he died, its reading six months after the war finished.
MS: Right.
RH: So, I bet he’s come home and he’s, he’s, he must have had gas.
MS: It might have been flu.
RH: Or whatever.
MS: Do you remember the flu that killed millions?
RH: Oh well.
MS: It could have been that. It got my grandad.
RH: Could be then. Yeah. And so that’s why. Nobody can understand it. The bloke who did it says, ‘I’ve never known it.’ He said, ‘I look after all these graves but I’ve never heard of one with a war grave with children,’ and, and you know and sons and daughters in it. He said, ‘It’s unbelievable.’ So, so as I say I do go over and I bought a thing for it you know for my mother to get over, you know. But it’s right next to Hull Fair actually so [laughs] so she gets livened up every year, you know. But, yeah, that’s about all I can say, tell you.
MS: Well first of all can I thank you.
RH: That’s alright.
MS: On behalf of the IBCC.
RH: That’s alright.
MS: Can I also thank you on behalf of myself because I found it really an interesting chat.
RH: Yeah. Yeah.
MD: Good.
MS: I’ve got a couple of forms.
RH: You don’t have to pay for the coffee before that.
MS: The coffee was awful [laughs] It was. I was forced to drink it [laughs] Right.
RH: [laughs] Is it what you wanted?
MS: It is.
RH: Is it?
MS: Absolutely. And what [coughs] Sorry I’ve got a frog in my throat.
RH: Yeah.
MS: What I need to do, I need to take you through some paperwork now. I’m going to ask you to sign something in a second.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And what it confirms is that you’re quite happy that you took part in the interview.
RH: Yes.
MS: No problem with that? And you’re giving the copyright to the university.
RH: Yes.
MS: For use in any media. Yeah. They will look after your personal details.
RH: Yeah.
MS: They will not disclose those.
RH: Yeah. Well there’s nothing.
MS: No. But you need to know for your protection.
RH: Yeah. Yeah.
MS: Yeah. Are you happy, do you agree that your name can be associated with the interview? So, if they played the interview to somebody or let them see it.
RH: Yeah.
MS: They’ll know it’s Ron Harrison but they’ll keep back all your other details. Ok?
RH: Yeah.
MS: So, tick that.
RH: That’s fine. Yeah.
MS: Ok. Do you allow me to take a photograph of you?
RH: No. No. You can take one.
MS: No problem. Yeah.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Ok. And do you agree to the interview being available online? So that someone could come along with a computer and go, ‘I’ll listen to that guy there.’ Are you happy with that?
RH: Well it wouldn’t hurt would it. Would it?
MS: No.
RH: Would it? It wouldn’t hurt would it?
MS: Well, the other thing is have you got grandchildren?
RH: Yes. I’ve, yes, I’ve got six.
MS: Have you? Well they’ll be able to go online and go to the International Bomber Command Centre and actually listen to you talking.
RH: Oh.
MS: And when, in the years to come when you’re not here that interview will still be there.
RH: Oh good.
MS: Ok. And what it says down here is —
RH: Do you take the daft bits out? Or do you leave —
MS: No. They’re the best bits, Ron.
[laughter]
RH: Oh dear [laughter]
MS: They are.
RH: They’ll be saying, ‘Why does that bloke keep saying eh?’ Eh?
MS: It’s because you’re from Hull. Right. I used to live next door to a bloke from Hull.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Right. I’m going to shorten this. It’s the responsibilities of the archive. Basically, they aim to be a really comprehensive repository. A holding place, for this information, and it’s to do with research and education.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Yeah. It’s housed and managed by the University of Lincoln and the University undertakes to finance, preserve and protect everything to do with it including donations. Yeah.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Now, over here they will need to confidentially and securely store your details in case they need to contact you about this agreement. Right. For any more information on how they store and use such stuff, such stuff, if you go to online, you’ll be able to find that.
RH: Right.
MS: But do you use a computer at all?
RH: No. Not now. I did do but no I don’t.
MS: You don’t.
RH: No. To be honest we’ve got to that age where technology is getting left behind.
MS: I know what you mean.
RH: Isn’t it?
MS: It goes on to say that the details that you’ve provided like your address and all the rest of it.
RH: Yeah.
MS: Will not be made publicly available. And then it goes on to say the agreement is covered by English law.
RH: Yeah.
MS: And I’ve signed down here because I’m the person who interviewed you. if you’re happy with all that would you put your signature in there for me please.
RH: Yeah.
MS: So if I give you that to lean on. Sorry, if you sign there for me. And I’ll stop this now.

Title

Interview with Kenneth Angus

Description

Kenneth Angus lived in Hull, and was 12 when war was declared. He discusses life on a farm after being evacuated, the bombing of Hull and his brother Harry Angus, who was killed flying as a wireless operator / air gunner with 44 Squadron from RAF Waddington.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

2016-06-08

Contributor

Hugh Donnelly

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

00:42:24 audio recording

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Transcription

IL. It’s the 8th of June roughly ten past two in the afternoon I’m Ian Locker and I am interviewing Kenneth Angus in his home in Elloughton near Hull. We are going to talk mainly about Ken’s Brother.John Henry who was in Bomber Command and was sadly killed at the age of twenty.
IL. Ken tell us a little bit about your early life and your Brothers early life.
KA.Well I was either eleven or twelve when the war started, my Brother was in in the volunteer, the RAF Volunteer Reserve and so was my Father. My Father was in the Air Force as well cause he was in. I never knew what he did to be quite honest I never saw him for five years all the time the war was on. He was at Cranwell actually, what he did I have no idea. He actually was in the First World War and he was wounded and came back, went back again. He was wounded again and he came back, actually came to Hull came to Withernsea actually and married my Mother. That was, when he came out of the Army there were no jobs, so he joined the Air Force and he was in, he is a very very close man. He wouldn’t tell about his experiences. A lot of this I didn’t know I only found out from my Sister. Anyway the both of them, my Brother and my Father were in the Volunteer Reserve, just before, well 1939 soon as War was declared Harry went into [Interupted by IL]
IL. So how did your Brother get involved with the Volunteer Reserve.
KA. I have no idea.
IL. I see.
KA. Actually my Father, I think it was extra money to be quite honest with you, It’s like the Territorial’s, you join. I used to know people in the Territorial’s and they just joined for the extra cash. As far as I know but my Father was such a close person.He never discussed his home life, as I say at the beginning of the war, well I’ll show you a photo in a minute, he was a Sergeant. Yeah em a Sergeant or something, he had three stripes anyway, I only ever saw him once, when I was stationed, when I joined the Army I went to Babington in Dorset and from there I went to Farnborough, just outside Farnborough. We had tanks stationed at the you know Farnborough Airport, De Havillands actually. He was coming there for something to do with the Air Force he said I’ll meet you there we will have some lunch and that’s it, the only time I ever saw him in five years. Eh we weren’t really close, my eldest Brother Harry was more close to the kids, you see there was six of us we were err you know a huge family. I remember, I do remember him actually because when he was killed I was evacuated. When my Mother told me at that time it didn’t register it em registers now but it didn’t register at that time. My Mother was devastated obviously, when em he went in.I don’t know a great deal about it, as soon as the war started I was off. I went to place near Helmsley and stayed there about two years I think it was and eh. I was away when he was killed, my Mother wrote to me and told me it didn’t register at all really and that was it. Anyway my Father he did his full time he did the war, full time he was there and em, we were em. It’s such a long time ago its very difficult to remember. When I was evacuated I went on a farm it was beaut. It was really good I was with two old, and old couple and they were brilliant they were the Salt of the Earth. Didn’t smoke, didn’t have electricity, we used to read by candle light, no hot water and yet we lived off the fat of the land you might say because he was a Farmer. I used to help him em I used to do everything virtually and drive a tractor and all sorts of things. I stayed there, would be about a couple of years. In the meantime my Mother was, my Mother stayed in Hull and then we were bombed, we got an incendiary bomb through the back porch, well through the house. It came through the roof, set fire to the house and my Mother had to move.
IL. So where about were you living in Hull at this time?
KA.In Jallen Street off Holderness Road. And eh I remember as I say lots of it’s very hazy. I was looking after myself actually I’ve always looked after myself, always been independent right from day one and I think that all the family has actually. Anyway, we, I went there and when my Mother, my Mother went to Wombwell, she had a friend, he was on the Council. He found her a house in Wombwell, it was just outside Wombwell. Eh she went there‘cause I was on the Farm you see. Anyway after about a couple of years my Mother said, she came back to Hull again so I came, I left the Farm and I went back to Hull with her and I stayed there. We were in the thick of the, you see I don’t remember a real lot. I do remember one thing and it’s vivid. They dropped a stick of Bombs down Holderness Road and I tell you exactly where they dropped them because I went out the next day to see the holes in the ground. They were bloody awful a huge hole, they dropped one, you won’t know it. There was a cinema called Savoy on Holderness Road they dropped one just on the main road there. They dropped one further down the er em, the main road, I forget what they call it. They dropped one there, there was a Bank on the corner, they dropped one there. They dropped one on the corner of Vies Park and three big holes, I’ve never seen holes like it to be quite honest.
IL.So where were you when these bombs were falling?
KA. We were in a shelter.[laugh].
IL. Where did you shelter in Hull, was it in your garden ?
KA. You know I can’t remember, I just can’t remember. We had a shelter in the garden in Jallen Street. We were moved around, my Mother moved around two or three times. She went from Jallen Street to eh a house, oh, somewhere near Nornabelle Street which is further up the road. Quite honestly a lot of this is very hazy it was seventy years ago. Anyway there are certain things stick in my mind once when they dropped the bombs, I was cured. You know they didn’t frighten me. I wasn’t really as far as I know I just went, I went to have a look at the holes. Of course all I saw was pipes and gas pipes and water pipes and sewage mains oh. As I say another time, another, I remember a Heinkel came over, I watched it come over it was so low I could see the Pilot, we were waving to him actually [laugh] with two fingers. He came over and I could actually see him flying the plane. He came over ever so low and behind him was a Spitfire and he chased him and they shot him down. The Pilot we heard, the Pilot waited until he got out of the built up area and he shot him down, I don’t know what happened after that. But em those are the two memories in my.
IL. Did anybody, I suppose there were civilian casualties, did anybody you know get hurt or killed?
KA. No funnily enough there might have been but I wasn’t family orientated in those days. To be quite honest it was like living a dream, I was on my own, I was evacuated on my own, I looked after myself. My Mother used to write to me occasionally, I never saw my Father. My Mother used to write whenever she could but you see having said that, there was my younger Brother and my younger Sister they were evacuated as well and to be quite honest I don’t really know where they went. I know now but I didn’t then. Because it was just like living a dream, it happened a long time ago and em. Anyway we em, what happened eh what actually, I can remember coming back to Jallen Street when they did the repairs and we moved back in.
IL. Was that during the War?
KA.Yeah, this was during the War 1943/44 and em, I left school actually when I was at Helmsley I was at Wombwell School,I was fourteen then I left school then. I remember the day I left school I went to work in an office a Colliery Office, Mitchell Main Colliery and I worked there, I was an Office Boy. Funnily enough I got on with the Agent who was the Managing Director,he was the Big White Chief. He took a shine to me funnily enough. He was a real, he was a pig actually to everybody else. You went down the Mine and they used to say Thornhills coming cause he used to have on his hat, instead of having just an ordinary lantern he used to have a beam so that when they were down the mine they could see when he was coming. Thornhills on his way, but you know, funnily enough he took a shine to me for some reason, I don’t know why. I had to go and get his sandwiches and take his briefcase to his car. I once took his bloody keys, he had a Jaguar, I once took his keys, I took his briefcase to his car, locked the car put the keys in my pocket, went home. Of course, he couldn’t get home, anyway I thought “what do I do”” I found the keys and thought “what do I do?” I could lie and tell him I left them on his desk or I could tell the truth. Anyway I thought “he knows,I know he knows.” Because what I did before he came in I put his keys on his desk you see. He said “where were my keys last night?” I said “in my pocket” He said “it’s a good job you said that because if you had said anything else you would have been through that door” “Now then” he said what’s you punishment?” I said, well I was only a lad, I was only fourteen, fourteen and a half something like that, I said “down to you” He had a big board he used to do his drawings on. He said “bend over that bench” Whack. He said “there you are forget it now” Later on he said “Would you like to go to Night School? I will pay your fees and your books, I will pay for everything and you take shorthand typing and book keeping” so I said “ok”and I went and I went to night school and I took this on.After that we left, I just left and I can’t remember leaving. Certain incidents that live in your mind, we had Mitchell Main, Dalfield Main, Dalfield Main was a subsidiary of Mitchell Main and the Manager at Dalfield Main, I don’t know. I knew him but I didn’t know anything about him. Anyway Thornhill said to me this day “I want you to take this letter to Mr what ever his name was and hand it to him personally, don’t give it to anyone else, give it to him personally.” So I thought “right” so I goes down, knocks on his door, his wife comes to the door, I say is “Mr so and so in?” “Oh he is still in bed” So I say “I’ve got to give him this letter personally” so she says “you had better come in then” So I handed it to him, it was his notice, it were unbelievable.
IL. Industrial relations would be.
KA. It were funny, I didn’t understand what was going on. But funnily he was squat thick set, he was a terror. People were frightened of him, really frightened of him and I wasn’t, I was in awe of him probably, but he didn’t frighten me. And em, he had a streak, I don’t know what it was, there was nothing funny about him ere m but he was. Anyway in the end my Mother came back to Hull and I followed her and I came back to Hull you see. This was during the war, they dropped the, when I was at home they dropped the bombs. That was my, but its six, it’s seventy years ago which is a long time to remember, but things do stick in your mind.
IL. Yes and I suppose its, I don’t know, most people don’t have much danger in their lives.
KA. To be quite honest I never thought of danger, it never bothered me. When I was on the farm there was a couple called Joe Wood and his wife was a reclusive. She wouldn’t answer the door to anyone, she wouldn’t go to the door. She was the kindest person you ever met and yet she wouldn’t talk to people, she used to, she used to call me Kenniff, Kenniff, but she was kindness itself. Both of them were but they were very insular people you know, never went into the village. I used to I, so I joined the choir, I was in the choir there actually and things like that.
IL. In Helmsley?
KA. Yes it was in Oswaldkirk, its next to Ampleforth, we used to go to Ampleforth School, not Ample, not College because when people say where were you educated, I say Ampleforth [laugh] which is, one was the village school, one was the top ranking, it were Roman Catholic College, yeah. We used to go there because we used to get an invite to go beagling from the College. We used to take the dogs out and go after hares and things like that. Oh no, it was a life, a secular life, I looked after myself I bought my own clothes, I did everything, I made. I used to catch rabbits, I’d sell them at the Market, Helmsley Market em, I used to make, I used to sell them, two for a shilling and probably about three or four pairs of rabbits and sell them. I used to buy Wellingtons, trousers things like that. You know I never saw any of my family at all, I was on my own and I have always been like that. I’ve been like that ever since, you get like that don’t you yeah, but it seems you know. Now my Father, the whole Family, my Brothers died, my eldest Sisters dead and my Brother above me died last year. He was in the Air Force he was in Bomber Command as well and there is em me. No then there is my younger Brother he died he was in the Military Police the Red Caps and there is only me left. My Sister who was the youngest Joan, there is only the two of us left out of six of us, you know. It’s sad really, I’ve had a charmed life actually [laugh] when you think about it, you know it’s em. But eh, but we, you see my Father, he never spoke about his childhood, he never spoke about his Mother and Father, he was brought up by his eh, eh, Grandma. His Grandma married three times. His Grandma married an alcoholic, he also married someone with a lot of money and somebody else I don’t know but he never spoke about it. We didn’t know eh, my Grandma Waddington she was filthy rich I’d say, she left a fortune. She left it to my sist my Father’s step Sister. Her Husband was the, the Daughter was the offshoot of the one she married. My Father got, we got a thousand pound when she died and my Grandma got thirty two thousand, eh aunty Nellie got thirty two thousand. You equate that seventy years ago it was about half a million quid, most probably more than that then. But, em I know we got, we got a thousand and I’ll never, we sat round the table and it came in white five pound notes, we got cash, white five pound notes in a rolls,with plastic bands on and we passed it round [laugh]. That’s when we bought Jallen Street, my Father bought Jallen Street, that was five hundred quid, the house was five hundred quid. Nice house as well, beautiful house. Eh you know my Fathers dead now and my Mothers dead. But em he was very em, very secular, he he he wouldn’t speak, he never spoke about his army career. He never told us what he did in the Air Force em. He never said anything you know, the only information I have is from the youngest Sister,‘cause Joan is the youngest. She was the Darling of the Family and my Father sort of doted on her a little bit more. I used to get my back side kicked [laugh] but he was, funnily enough towards the end of his life he did change. He changed eh, when I first, when my first Wife eh, we were married when I was twenty two and my first wife died when I was forty and eh I met Beryl and we have been married now forty odd years. But eh, Beryl and my Father got on like a house on fire. I think my Father was a little bit eh, a little bit upper class more than my Mother. My Mother was Hessle Road you might say and my Father was eh eh, he had a Class about him funny how he had a class about him eh, and you talk to him and he got on with Beryl very well, Beryl said he was an unreal chap. I remember him when he was a bloody old tyrant, you know. But this is it he had six kids, whither, I don’t know whither I don’t know if it was the marriage, if he was happy, I don’t think he was that happy to be quite honest. Eh my Mother went her own way and my Father went his own way and I just have a feeling em, that my Grandma Waddington was em em, she had two cars actually, the days nobody had cars and she had two. Two Rovers, and she used to come and visit us, not very often, we used, when she was good she used to, you know fox furs and all every thing else and flaunting, when she went out we used to stand there, she used to give us half a crown. I suppose it was alright in these days, no I eh eh you as I say my Father, he never. I’ve a feeling my Father I don’t know, was he illegitimate, there was something he never spoke about at all until his last, till he was about seventy, seventy five. Then he opened up to my Sister, yeah my younger Sister and she knows more about him than I do. The information I have I got it only from Joan. It’s funny. Anyway.
IL.A different generation.
KA. That’s our war you might say.
IL. Ok what about your Brother Harry then?
KA. Well Harry as I say he was called up straight away, in fact I’ve got the details here, I’ve got the photographs. We didn’t have photographs, we didn’t have cameras we weren’t allowed cameras in those days and em yes, John Henry Angus aged twenty, he was at RAF Waddington, he died 17th of the ninth, 1940 his service number was 751690 he was in 44 Squadron, em eh. He got three war medals, he got Aircrew Europe, War Medal and 1945. He was only in as I say he died in 1940, 1939 the war started in, he would only have been in the Service a year when he trained and was flying. He was shot down over Burcht just outside Antwerp and think he was bombing barges actually. They were building barges to invade in these days, the Operation Sea Lion. I think it was something like that, and they were building barges at Antwerp and I think that is what he was bombing. That is what I have heard, he was in a Hampden, MK1 Hampden a KM MK1 Hampden series number P2121. I got all this off the Internet. But that’s em, so basically he was only in the Air Force and he trained and he was Aircrew.
IT. What did he do, what was he in the aeroplane?
KA. He was eh, no then, I think he was a WOPAG, Wireless Operator Air Gunner. I’m not sure about that, I struggle with a Master Signaller. That was the Brother [garbled] he was in the war as well. When we were in Wombwell he went down the mines actually. He didn’t get, he didn’t get an option as soon as he was sixteen he went down the mines and he went down the mines for two years.Then when he came out the mines, when we came back to Hull. He couldn’t go down the mines then, he joined the Air Force and he was in the Air Force all his life he, he, started off, he was in Bomber Command and what I can gather he was bombing Germany. When the war finished he was on the Berlin Airlift, humping coal. He was flying coal backwards and forwards. He then went in, well when Bomber Command finished he went into Transport Command and then as I say he was on the Berlin Airlift. He has had a chequered career, fantastic career. He went to Australia when they set the Atom Bomb off he took the animals, took some of the monkeys out there when they exploded the Atom Bomb. He was in India when they petitioned Pakistan. He was flying people backwards and forwards, he was there for three years I think. Then he went to Cyprus, he was in Cyprus flying all over the place. Then he went to Benson where the Queens Flight was and he was on the Queens Flight he was eh, Master Signaller a [garbled] he was telling me they have offered me a Commission and I have worked it out I get more money being a Master Signaller than I do being a Flight Lieutenant. So he said I don’t want it I will stay as I am and he stayed as a Master Signaller right through his career. He actually, Oh then he went to Leuchars in Scotland he was on Helicopters. He was at Driffield on Thor Missiles when the Missile Base was there. What else did he do, oh he’s been to Sweden he’s been to America he’s been all over. Then when he came out of, when he retired, I mean this is going back, he was in the Air Force thirty odd years. When he retired he joined Dan Air, he went to Dan Air and Dan Air was taken over by British Airways. So when he was, when he, when he retired when he finished completely he got a pension from British Airways. He was stationed, actually it was, it was never, again. It just shows you how sick our family is, he had six children or five or six or five I think, I’ve never seen any of them because they were all born abroad. Two was born in Cyprus one was born in India I think it was. [garbled] peculiar life, well not a peculiar life, he was stationed at, well he was stationed at Abingdon and em, he stayed there. Well he was in the Air Force right until he retired out the Air Force and then he joined Dan Air.
IL. Was he in Abingdon during the War or was this subsequent to the War?
KA. No I don’t know where he was when he was actually bombing I don’t know. We weren’t really in contact with each other then. I know he was at Benson because when I came back to Hull, I went on to, I started driving, transport. I started of my career in transport I used to go there I used to go to Benson stay the night and I used to do London, I used to go to London backwards and forwards. So I used to go to Benson, stay there the night, go onto London and come back. Eh as I say, this is, this is when the Atom Bomb was exploded because he said, he said come on we will have a walk around the airfield and there were Viking’s of the Queens Flight, Valetta’s and Viking’s and he showed me one, went in one. There were steel cages in there and he said “what do you think those are for?” I said “I have no idea, prisoners, is it for carting prisoners” He said “no he said, I can’t tell you now because we are sworn to secrecy but you will read about it” and sure enough he took a load of monkeys out in this cage. So these are the things I remember you know and where else was he? Ah he was in Cyprus for three years and its em, Akrotiri I think it was em, where else? He was in the North West Frontier, he was in India for three years, he was at Karachi I think it was and em. It was, they were flying, cause in those days see, I didn’t understand what they were doing in India. I didn’t know that they were petitioning and the Muslims were going North and the Hindus were going south but he said there were a lot of people killed. He said there was a massacre, he said we were flying officials out. I remember he was on the front page of em, one of the big newspapers, new magazine, Tattler or something like that, showed him throwing rice out to the Indians, Hindus. He said, they used the front page and he said, that’s me, well you could see it was him. He said “I got a bollocking for that” I said “why” he said “because I didn’t have a belt on, I should have been strapped in and I was just slinging these bags out” [laugh]. He has had a terrific career, he was on the Berlin Air Lift I said “ what were you doing there” he said “ we were humping coal and we had three minutes to land, unload and take off again. If you missed the slot you had to go round with a full load. You couldn’t, if for some reason you were late or something you had to take his load back, fly round and then come back again” He said, because there were God knows how many aircraft, well they brought everything into Berlin. He was on coal actually I said “did you hump coal then?” he said “No”
IL. Well he had his previous training didn’t he?
KA. Then he was in, they had a little sideline going that was it, they used to take coffee into Berlin then used to go somewhere just outside Berlin and buy ornaments, glassware take the glassware back. Take the coffee there, do a bit of training. He was on Dakota’s actually at that time he was on a Dakota. He said, he said funny thing is the one he was on he said “ we only had to whistle and the floor boards jumped”[laugh] No he has, yes he is very unassuming you know. No he has had a terrific life.
IL. So do you know anything about his Second World War Service, did he complete a tour or ?
KA. I don’t know all I can say I know when he was bombing Berlin he said “we used to take off, circle round gain height, join a Squadron” and then he said “we used to fly over, when we got over the Channel when we got into France you could actually see the glow of Berlin burning” he said “when you were flying over, as soon as you got over Berlin you plane just Woof! The air currents, the hot air current coming up used to lift your plane up” he said “we used to drop the bloody bombs and scarper” He never really eh never, never bragged about anything I mean. I said “did you ever fly any of the Royal Family?” he said “well we used to fly” he never flew the Queen,he never flew the Duke of Edinburgh. He said “we used to fly a lot of officials, next to you know, next to the Queen. They used to use the Queens Flight for all sorts of things actually. I said “did you ever fly the Queen” he said “no, no” em but he never really said anything, he said em. you know only through away questions you might say. But em you know. He said “when we were in India, these bloody Afghans, we used to fly over Afghanistan the Afghans then had these pop guns, these blunder buses. We used to fly in low, you know go in to the North” and he said “they’d be there with these guns firing at us they didn’t have a cat in hells chance of hitting us” but you know he is. That was Cyril but he died last year, his wife had died quite a few years ago, she was a real nice girl but she died of Cancer, all these things.
IL Just coming back to Harry then, have you been over to,did?
KA. No
IL. Do you have a grave in Antwerp?
KA. I have a photograph of it.
IL We’ll take some photographs.
KA. I keep saying I’ll go, we’ve been, since we’ve been married and that we’ve been everywhere and its Antwerp is one place I’ve never been. I keep saying you know we ought to go we ought to go. I’ve been to the Somme, the World War Battlefields, I’ve been to Normandy as well, Dun, you know where they invaded in the last war, the last war yeah. No it’s a place, I keep say, you know. It’s too late now to be quite honest. He’s buried with the other, there were five crew,they are all buried together apparently. I’ve got a photograph of the grave my Mother was. I am really doing this for my Mother, I hope you feel that maybe I was a bit outside looking in. I was in business, you know what business is like you are working eight, seven days a week twenty four hours a day virtually, you know. Bit em, sometimes we did all right I mean eh, funny I had a good job. I worked for George Halton at one time and em I was there five years. I knew Dick Halton, the Managing Director in fact it is his son in law who got me the job there. I was friendly with Frank Briar, he was the. Well it was actually Frank’s wife Sister, Dicks, I don’t know, there is some relation anyway. He was a real nice guy he’s dead now In fact his son now is in [unreadable] his son has taken the business over and eh, do you, do you know?
IL. I know that some of the Children were at school with my kids, my kids were at Highmers and I know the name and I would have met them at certain.
KA. This would have been the generation before them.
IL Absolutely as I say the next generation would be at school with my kids.
KA. Dicks son was only a boy when I was working for Halton’s. There were three of them Dick, George and Peter. Peter and Dick were the main stay of Halton’s. George was too much and you very rarely saw him. Dick I knew very well actually in fact he said to me when I told him I was leaving and going on me own he said “if it doesn’t go right, come back but I hope it does” Well it, the trouble is when you start on your own you can’t fail, you just can’t fail you’ve got to put the hours to do this you’ve got to do that.
IL Yeah.
KA.I don’t know, we did all right. I’ve been retired now for twenty four years now. As I say we had the Garage at Anlaby, one of the Garages in Anlaby it’s a tyre place now its opposite, used to be Jacksons and then it went into a Supermarket.
IL Yes I know exactly where it is.
KA. We took it over, it was called Someleys actually, Gordon and Roy Someley, eh they owned the old. His Father was a Blacksmiths there in Anlaby in the days of Blacksmiths and eh, Roy sold out and Mogel bought it and I took it over. It was state of the art, when it was built it was state of the art. I’ve got photographs of it. We had state of the art pumps and all sorts. I mean now they are old fashioned but in these days they were really, really something you know. No I was there about thirty odd years I think. I had another garage, I had two down Sutton Road as well. One is still there funnily enough, one of them, you know where the new, the bridge, you remember the old bridge?
IL. I don’t, I don’t know that part of Hull that well.
KA. Well it used to be a real narrow, narrow iron bridge, if two cars went across you couldn’t get across. Anyway they have taken it away and put a huge bridge there. Right on the corner there is a big roundabout there now, right on the corner there is a garage there now, well I had that one as well. But no I mean things have changed a lot [laugh] But as I say Harry I don’t know, it was actually a friend of mine that told me about this and eh, she’s got two cousins that are flyers as well and they got the, she gave me the information. In fact she gave me the information, this is em. Because I didn’t know anything about it and its em eh. No this was just the two people I had to get in touch with, Peter Jones and Helen Durham.

Description

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1937-01-14

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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

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Title

Royal Air Force volunteer reserve postponement of calling up for service

RAF Form 2150

Description

Made out to Raettig D W stating that he will have to report in time when notified. In the meantime he remains on the reserve with no pay. he is required to keep current employment and notify any change of address.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1941-01-15

Contributor

Steve Baldwin

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

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One page printed document

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Service Trade ACII/FMC/G
R.A.F. Form 2150
ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
ENLISTMENT FOR DURATION OF THE PRESENT EMERGENCY
POSTPONEMENT OF CALLING UP FOR SERVICE
To
No. 1136657 Name Raettig D.W.
Address ‘Raeville’ Beverley Road
Anlady Yorks.
Nearest Rly. Stn. HULL

In connection with your enlistment in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve for service during the present emergency, you will be required to report for permanent service in accordance with the instructions contained in a notice to be issued to you by the Officer in Charge Records, Royal Air Force.

In the meantime you will remain on the Reserve and no pay or allowance will be issuable to you for the period during which you are not called up for permanent service. It is important therefore that you should not leave your present civil employment until you are required to report for service. Where practicable you will be notified ten days before the date on which you will be required to report.

The Officer in Charge Records, Royal Air Force, Ruislip, Middlesex, must be informed of any change of address, and any correspondence must quote your R.A.F. No., rank and name.

Title

Description

Letter stating that former trade union has now amalgamated with the national graphical association. Continue with particulars of recipient and notes on payment of subscriptions.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Title

Description

Reply sent to Denis Raettig from M Harland and Son, Specializing Printers of Hull offering a months trial

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1937-01-08

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

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Temporal Coverage

Title

Royal Air Force volunteer reserve form of application for enlistment for five years' service for flying duties

Form 1761

Description

Filled out form for Dennis Raettig with personal details, nationality, parents details, any convictions, education and employment. Followed by details of nearest elementary and reserve flying school and type of course required. Completed with two witnesses.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1939-06

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Title

Driving test appointment

Description

Driving test appointment for 23 May 1938 in Hull

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1938-05-20

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Title

Driving test appointment

Description

Addressed to Dennis Raettig for driving test on 27 May 1938 in Hull and receipt for five shillings.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1938-05

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Temporal Coverage

Title

Description

Folded form addressed to Dennis Raetting [sic]. Records that he is member number 23589 of National Deposit approved society.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Title

Raettig family in England

Description

First page biography of Dennis William Raettig with information on other family members. Father was in merchant navy and brothers both served during the war in the navy and air force. Dennis joined Royal Air Force as an engine fitter. Dennis married Joan Wray in 1952 and they had two children. Other documents cover grandfather who was born in Wittenburg Germany 3 February 1864 who became a ships captain. Both his children including Dennis Raettig's father followed in merchant navy. His father served on the Blue Funnel Line in world war one when he was torpedoed. List ships and positions, letters, history of grandfathers dog and a picture of the ship 'Clan Graham'. A letter to Helene and Hertha Rättig in Vienna written in German and a translation sent 7 November 1936 telling history of family in England during world war one and after. A letter from Max Rättig to Alfred Schlingnann talking about his life as a German in England during the First World War and changing his name. Followed by other letters to members of the family in Vienna, and New York and a photographs of the family. Continues with history and biographies of the second, third and forth generations, photographs, letters, list of family and kin and family trees.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

Robin Christian

David Bloomfield

Tricia Marshall

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

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Coverage

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Transcription

Raettig
Family
In
England

[page break]

Dennis William Raettig
After his general education at the Hull Grammar School Dennis commenced a yearlong course at a commercial college before entering employment in 1936, with M Harland Ltd., Printers, in Manor Street, Hull, in the Estimating Department. Dennis used to travel to work each day from the family home in Anlaby. In September 1939 father, mother Dennis and his two brothers, were together at home when war was declared. Father who as [sic] on leave at the time rejoined his ship. Grandmother came from her home in Hull to stay with in Anlaby. Father’s ship was laid up for repairs near Marseilles and mother together with the two of the officers’ wives went to join their husbands,. During the next few months Max volunteered for Service in the Royal Navy. And brother join [sic] volunteered for the royal [sic] Air Force.
Grandmother died and Dennis had the sad duty to arrange for her funeral.

Dennis joined the RAF and commenced his training as an Engine Fitter at Squiresgate, [sic] near Blackpool. He was billeted in Blackpool and for a short time he was able to meet his brother John who was undertaking his training as a wireless operator.

Dennis was posted to RAF Station Lisset, a bomber station, in East Yorkshire, as an Engine Fitter working on various aircraft, including the :Lancaster.

He married Joan Wray in 1952. They had two children, Susan who was born on May 17, 1953, and Peter who was borne on 16 June 16, 1959. Dennis set up his business as a Printer one of his main jobs was the production of the Jewish Magazine “The Watchman” which he continued with until his retirement in 19**. Both Dennis and Joan were keen gardeners.

[page break]

[underline] THE RAETTIG FAMILY IN ENGLAND [/underline]

[underline] FURTHER THOUGHTS [/underline]

My grandfather, Carl Friedrich [underline] Max [/underline] Rättig was born in Wittenberg (East Prussia), on the 3rd. February, 1864, he had a younger sister, Bertha. Their father Edgar died on the 13th. June, 1871, and their mother Luise died in July 1880. Mac, then aged 16, and Bertha aged 13 went to live with their uncle. It was intended that Max should become an architect or surveyor, he however had other ideas and joined the crew of a sailing ship.

His ship often visited the port of Hull where he met his wife to be, Edith Bell. He took up the trade of fisherman, in small open sailing boats. at [sic] first he sailed witha [sic] skipper named Tognola but he soon gained his Skipper’s Certificate and became a very successful trawlerman with a crew of his own. He fished off the Dogger Bank and the Silver Pit, in the North Sea, sometimes staying at sea for three or four weeks.

Both two eldest sons, Max Edgar (my father) and his brother Ralph, intended to follow a life at sea and attended the Trinity House School in order to learn to be sailors. Grandfather insisted that his eldest son should start his career by signing on as apprentice on a sailing ship. So his first ship was the s.s. “Clan Graham”. The ship had been built at Russells shipyard in 1893 and was sister-ship to the “Clan Galbraith”, the last two members of the Dunlop “Clan Line”. Her length was 282.9 feet, beam 40.4 feet, depth below water 24.6 feet, her gross tonnage was 2,200. She sailed under the British flag for 16 years before being sold to a Norwegian company. It was finally sunk by a U-boat in 1917. A framed painting of the ship that father first sailed in is still a treasured family possession of my brother Max. In 1972 I had a photograph of the “Clan Graham” in port, with bare masts, from this, and with reference to the Register of Shipping, I was able to get a young artist, Michael Bonner, to paint for me an impression of the “Clan Graham” in full sail.

Father gained his Master Mariners Certificate by the age of 20 and sailed through World War 1 with the Blue Funnel Line, his ship was torpedoed by a U-boat, he was decorated for his work in convoys during that war. He joined the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company, all its tankers were named after sea shells! I list in alphabetical the ships he served in:-

M.V. “Bullysses”.

Captain 1935 – 1938, Asia & Australia. Whilst Master of this tanker, Capt. Raettig rescued 8 Formosan seamen who had been shipwrecked for 12 days at sea. He received acknowledgement of his “gallant and kind treatment of these men”, from the Japanese Consul General.

M.V. “Cobis”

Chief Officer, 1921, China & East Indies.

M.V. “Conch”

Master.

[page break]

2.

M.V. “Elax”

Master, 1946-1950, launched Short Brothers, Belfast.

M.V. “Goldmouth”

Master. 1944 – 46, I stood on the quayside by Smiths Dock, South Shields, to meet my father for the first time since 1939, I saw father on the ship’s bridge as the ship was manoeuvring alongside; the pilot, who was at the starboard lookout, told me to jump aboard. When I went to see father, who by now was at his desk below, he did not recognise me – I was in R.A.F. uniform. The movement of ships was still under the strictest security, so he was very surprised to learn from me that mother was arriving from Durban to Liverpool the next day. I met her at in Liverpool and brought her back to North Shields, this completed my seven day leave and I returned to R.A.F. West Drayton.

M.V. “Liparus”

Master.

M.V. “Scalaria”

Master, East Indies.

M.V. “Trocas”

Master.

M.V. “Roseshell”

Chief Officer, This was a large corrugated steel plated, motorised oil barge of experimental design. Apparently oil cargo was pumped into the forward tanks and the vessel began to sink by the bows, oil was pumped into the after tanks and the vessel then cracked amidships and sank. Father was dressed in a white tropical uniform, nevertheless he dived overboard and swam ashore!

Other ships:-

s.s. “Mary”

Master. 1924. During the Depression, father had been ashore for many months waiting to be given a ship. He was approached by an agent and who asked him to deliver a small Coaster the s.s. “Mary” from Hull to Newcastle. Since most of father’s sailing had been in far eastern waters, he asked his father to assemble a crew and to sail with him as first mate. On its way down the River Humber the “Mary” began to take in more water than the pumps could handle. After a brief consultation with his first mate (his father), the Captain turned the ship back and eventually had to beach her at Paull, just a mile or two east of Hull! It was a “coffin” ship.

[page break]

3.

s.s. “Rhodi”

Master. 1941. this [sic] was a prize passenger ship, captured from the Italians and lying in harbour at Malta. Mother and father had been stranded in Malta at the early part of the war; father’s tanker had broken down with engine trouble. The Navy asked his father to take his crew onto the “Rhodi” with a number of Polish Troops and sail for Egypt. The Navy created a diversion, but the Italian Air Force caught up with the “Rhodi” and sped it on its way with machine-gun and cannon fire. It managed to make its way to Alexandria with no casualties and little damage.

S.T. “Kingston Emerald”

On retirement, he was asked to navigate a trawler. For Skipper Shaugnessy, to a point off Greenland. I drove him to the dock and was troubled to see that all the crew, except the Wireless Operator, were very drunk. By the time they reached their destination all were sober!

Oil Installation.

After delivering the “Rhodi”, father became manager of an Oil Installation at Ras Gharib, providing fuel for tanks and shipping for the war. Later he was given command of another tanker and supplied fuel for the Burma Campaign.

Father was decorated for his work in World War II. He was one of the six senior masters in the then 100 vessel company and was appointed Commodore.

[underline] Grandfather’s Dog. [/underline]

My brother Dennis found a stray dog which he and I took round to give to our grandfather. It was of uncertain breed, black and brown, medium sized, curly tailed, with an uncertain temper. Bonzo became grandfather’s friend and comrade until he died. On One [sic] occasion we visited him at the Riverside Quay, Hull, on the s.s. “Spero”. The ship was high in the water, having no cargo. There were small waves on the water making the ship bump against the quay. Bonzo was at the top of the steep gangway, crouched down and barking at us, as we climbed up he backed away and dropped down into the water. A ladder was lowered down between the ship and the quay to prevent Bonzo being crushed to death, we got a long boat hook around his collar and hauled him up. Grandfather was in tears at the thought that his faithful friend might have been killed.

We have been asked by H.B.M. * Consul-General to convey to you the gist of the Japanese Consul-General’s letter regarding the rescue of eight Formosans.

The Japanese Consul-General considers the rescue of these men, who had been hovering between life and death for twelve days, a most gallant act and the men themselves state they received most generous and kind treatment on board the tanker “Bulysses”.

For the heroic work and kindness extended to the Japanese fishermen, the Consul-General for Japan expresses his profound appreciation and gratitude.

We are, dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,

[signed]

For the Asiatic Petroleum Company.

[underline] [/underline]

* (His Britannic Majesty’s)

NOTE:

The Master of the M.V. “Bulysses” was Captain M.E.Raettig. (J.C.R.)

[page break]

[picture of THE CLAN GRAHAM]

[page break]

Kopie einer handschriftlich Brief von:- Max Rättig
(Mathew Reckitt)
62, English Street,
Hull (Eng.)
Nov. 7 (1936)
Nach H. u. H. Rättig, Wein,
Liebe Helene,
Liebe Hertha!
Euer Lieber Brief vom 29. Okt. hat mich zu gleicher zeit sehr überrasscht und auch betrübt. Betrübt zu hören, dass meine arme Schwester Bertha eure Mutter, nach so schwerem Leiden gestorbe ist. So bin ich nun der einzige der Wittenberger Familie Rättig der noch am Leben ist, und meine zeit ist sehr Kurz – ich bin ja schon 73 Jahre alt am 3. Februar und fortwährend kränklich mit Herzleiden, dass ich glücklich bin, wenn das Ende kommt.
Es ist wunderbar, wie euer Brief überhaupt in meine Hände gekommen ist und ich muss meine Geschickte vor dem Kreige anfangen. Est ist so viele Jahre hier, seit ich einen deutschen Brief geschreiben habe, dass es mir schwierig wird, ordentlich auszudrücken und ich hoffe, ihr werdet die Fehler verzeihen. Ich spreche ja immer englisch und habe keine Gelengenheit, deutsch zu sprechen.
Gerade vor dem Kriege 1912-1914 wohnte ich in Hessle, wie ihr wisst. Wir hatten 7 Kinder, Max, Ralph, Bertha, John, Agnes, Eva und Edith, ihr Alter ungefähr 23-21-20-18-7-5-2. Ich war schon 4 Jahre Kapitän auf einer Hull-Rhederei und stand mich sehr gut, ich verdiente ins jedem Jahre etwas mehr Geld, ich war, wie man das heir nent, ein glücklicher Mann. Da kam der Krieg. es quälte mich nicht viel, denn ich war ja schon seit vielen Jahren ein englischer Bürger. Ich hatte, wie ich in meinem Wahnsinn dachte, keinen Feind in der Welt, - wie schnell ich ausfinden musste, dass ich benahe keinen Freund hatte! Max hatte gerade sein Kapitäns Examen bestanden, Ralph seines als 2 ter Steuermann, beide gingen weg; Max als 1. Steuermann, Ralph als 3 ter. Bertha war in einem Geschäft, ich glaube es heisst Posamentier in deutsch. John war in der Lehre bei einem Baumeister. So fing der Krieg an. Zuerst war es nicht so schlimm, die leutchen in Hessle hatten nicht zu viel gegen uns. Als aber die deutsche Armeen nicht ausrissen, wenn die Engländer sich zeigten, und immer mehr und mehr Soldaten, Volontüre gefordet wurden, wurde es ungemütlich für uns. Auf einmal kam der erste Schlag, der Direktor meiner Rhederei nahm mich bei Seite und sagte, es tat ihm sehr leid, aber ich müsste gehen, er verspracht mir ja, hätte ich während des Kriegs Hilfe notig, ruhig zu ihm zu kommen und sie würden mich durchsetzen, ich wäre ja ihr bester Kapitän.
So war ich also ohne Arbeit und wenig Geld. Zur Marine taugte ich nicht, war auch zu alt schon und ein geb. Deutscher. Schliesslich nach ein paar Monaten, wenn meine liebe Frau mir ziemlich deutlich zu verstehen gab, dass si Geld nötig hatte, kam ich auf einer kleinen Schiffswerft als Arbeiter an, Gehalt 21 sh. pro Woche.
[page break]
2
Die Vorgesetzten waren mir gut, ich konnte ja arbeiten, aber die Leute, jeden Tag Schimpswörter – verfluchter Deutscher u.s.w., bis schliesslich nach einigen Wochen die Geschicte zu schlimm wurde und ich ging ab. So hatte ich wieder keine Arbeit. Da hat mich mein Schwager Albert, der Vorsteher eines Arbeitsbüros war, eingeladen, ihn zu besuchen in Goole, einem kleinen Hafen oberhalb Hull. Ich ging, und kam auf den Gedanken, unter einem anderen Namen auf See zugehen. Ich rasierete mich ganz glatt und ich war ein neuer Mann: Mathew Reckitt, Matrose. Meine Sprache war gut genug, um als geb. Englander zu passieren. Seeleute waren knapp und ich bekam sofort ein Schiff als Matrose. Nur eine Reise und der zweite Schlag traf uns: Deutchland fing an englische Städte mit Luftschiffen zu bombardieren und Hull wurde nicht verschont. Die Wut und Entrüstung der Leute war furchtbar und meine arme Familie mussste von der Polizei beschutzen, wir müssten weg. Aber wohin? Einige Damen in Hesskle kamen sogar mit einem offenen Scheck, um Edith zu helfen, wegzukommen, aber sie war zu wütend oder stolz und sagte ihnen, sie brauche keine Helfe. Schliesslich ging sie nach Grimsby – Cleethorpes (?) seitdem gewohnt. Die beiden Städte sind verbunden wie Hamburg – Altona. Sie hat ein grosses Haus und nimmt in Sommer Badegäste. C1. ist an der Mündung der Humber. Das schlecte ist, das ich in Grimsby nicht bekannt und seit 1917-1929 war ich auf einem Dampfer als Bootsmann, zuerst 8 Monate als Matrose, höher konnte ich nicht, mein Zeugnis is nur für Fischerei. Schliesslich 1929 mussste ich an Land kommen, ich war 66 Jahre alt, schon 2 Jahre über die bestimmte Zeite und die Rhederie gab mir Arbeit als Schiffs-Wächter d.h. wenn die Mannschaft, alle Hull-Leute abends an Land gehen, bin ich allein auf dem Schiff mit meinem Hündschen Bonzo, mein treuer Kamerad und ein guter Wächter; wehe dem Kerl, der seinem geliebten Herrn anfasst.
So, dies is die Lage. Edith wohnt in Cleethorpes allein, ich in Hull in einem möblierten Zimmer, koche mein Essen, wasche mein Zug und flicke es. Ich bezahle meiner Wirtin jede Woche 10 sh. und habe da Privilegium jede Woch meiner lieben Frau one Pound zu schicken. Mein Gehalt ist nich sicher, mitunter habe ich nur 12 sh. für die Wöche, mitunter 48, 6 sh. die Nacht, aber mitunter machen die Schiffe kurze, mitunter lange Reise, je nach dem Wetter.
Nun aber wird es Zeit, über die Kinder zu sprechen.
Max, jetz 45 Jahre alt, is Käpitan auf einem grossen ö1-Damfer (M.V. “Bulysses”) fährt von Singapore nach China, Japan, Australien und Neuseeland, ist immer auf 3 Jahre fort, nach dem haben 3 Monate Ferien zu Hause, Reisegeld bezhalt und Gehalt. Er is verheiratet, seine Familie wohnte in Hull und hat 3 Jungen, 19, 17, and 15.
John unser jüngster Sohn ging in die Feldartillerie 1915 und fiel vor Ypres am 17 März 1916. Dies war das erste, was Edith gegen mich setze. Ralph, unser zweiter Sohn, heiratete 1916 ein Hessle – Mädchen und was 1917 2ter. Steuermann auf dem englischen Dampfer “Elve”, ich wollte als Matrose mit ihm gehen, als auf der letzten Minute die Rhederei eine chinesische Mannschaft nahm, glücklich für mich.
[page break]
3.
Ich ging am 20 Aug. auf den Hull-Dampfer “Albano” und schon während der ersten Reise kamen unsichere Nachrichten dass Ralph’s Schiff überfällig sie und schlliesslich mussten wir annehmen, dass es ungefähr am 11 Okt. an der Portugiesischen Küste mit Mann und Maus untergegangen. Torpediert von meinen Landsleuten! Nun war Edith mit mir fertig. Von Liebe is keine Rede, kein Vertauen, nichts. Gott sei Dank, die Kinder sind treu und besuchen mich wenn möglich. Ein trauriges Ding ist, dass Ralph’s Witwe einen kleinen Sohn hatte, 4 Monate nach dem er vershollen war; sie nannte ihn auch Ralph und auch er, jetz 18 Jahre, geht zur See. Die Witwe heiratete wie der nach 4 Jahre, ich Weiss nicht mal ihren neuen Namen.
Bertha heiratete nach dem Krieg einen Reissenden, der in Hull und Umbebung für Armour travelled. Sie wohnen ausserhalb Hull.
Agnes heiratete ein Kaufman (Fehilfe), hatte einen kleinen Sobn, jetz 19 Jahre alt. Ihr Mann ist nach kurzen Ehe (2-3 J.) an Schwindsucht gestorben. Nun in Jahre 1935 heiratete sie einen Mann, der Farbe farbriziert und dir hatte einen kleinen Jungen am 15 Juni d.J. beide Jungen haben Gerburtstag am selben Tage. Sie wohnen in Grimsby, so sehe ich sie nur selten.
Eva heiratete zu Weinachten einen Mann, der Motoren zu verkaufen sucht. Er hat sein Geschäft in Croydon (bei London); sie wollte eine Krankenpfleger in werden und es kostete mich einen Haufen Geld, sie war im Hospital in Birmingham, schliesslich wurde sie kranke hatte ein Operation am Ohre, aber ohne Erfolg, und musste ihre Stelle wegen Taubheit verlassen.
Nun bleibt meine jüngste Tochter Edith. Sie hatte eine brillante Schulgeit und ging nach London ins Lehrer-Collegium auf 2 Jahre und bekam auch sofort eine Stelle als Lehrerin in Birmingham. Wieder kamen meine Erspasnisse un Studium, aber es war es wert sie ist versorgt und ich klage nicht. Nun wirds aber Zeit, aufzuhoren. Ich freue mich sehr, dass ihr beide selbständig seid. Um Himmels willen, lasst Heiraten sein. Hier bin ich verheiratet und schon seit 21 Jahren allein, immer krank diese letzen 2 Jahre und kein Hoffn8ng bis sum Ende. Adieu, bitt, wenn ihr Zeit machen könnt, schreibt wider so abld wie möglich. Die address ist:
Mr M. Reckitt,
62, English Street,
HULL.
(signed)
[page break]
Translation of letter written by:-
Max Rättig
(Matthew Reckitt)
26, English Street,
Hull (Eng.)
Nov, 7th. (1936)
To:- H. & H. Rättig in Vienna,
his cousins as well as nieces as follows:- (Copy routed to me thru’ A.S. in Berlin, forwarded to my brother Alvin, to be returned.
Dear Helene!
Dear Hertha!
I received your kind letter of the 29th. October which both surprised and saddened me. I was very sad to hear that my poor sister Bertha, your mother, has died after great suffering. I am now the only one of the Wittenberg Rättig family, who is left and I am getting old. I will be 73 on the 3rd. February, and am permanently ill with heart trouble, so shall welcome the end as a happy release.
It is remarkable that your letter reached me and I will tell you the story of what happened to me before the Great War began. It is so many years since I have written a letter in German, that I am having great difficulty in putting my thoughts on paper, so please forgive my mistakes. I only speak in English and never have chance to speak German at all.
Immediately before the War in 1913-1914, I lived in Hessle, as you know. We had 7 children – Max, Ralph, Bertha, John, Agnes, Eva, and Edith, and their ages at that time were about 23, 21, 20, 18. 7. 5. 2. I had been a well established Skipper with a Hull Trawling Company, and earned very good money in those years. I was, as you might say, a very happy man. Then the War started. It didn’t worry me much, as I had been an English citizen for many years. I thought I hadn’t an enemy in the world, but I was deluding myself, as I soon found that I had almost no friends.
Max had already gained his Master’s Certificate, Ralph had his 2nd. Mate’s Certificate and they were both working – Max as 1st. Mate and Ralph as 3rd. Mate. Bertha was working in what I think is called, a haberdashers shop. John was an architects pupil. When the War first started things weren’t too bad, as the people in Hessle had nothing against us. It was pointed out to us that the Germans had not yet advanced but if they did things would become more and more uncomfortable for us. The first blow fell when the Director of my Trawling Company took me on one side and told me that, much to his regret, I would have to leave, promising me that he would take me on again at the end of the war, he said I was probably his best captain.
So I was without work and had very little money. I was too old for the Navy (as well as being born a German). After a few months I went to work in a small shipyard, as my dear wife had let me know in no uncertain terms that she needed money.
[page break]
2
My wage was 21s. per week and I got on very well with the boss as I was a good worker, but the other workers cursed me every day – damned German etc., which I stood for for [sic] a few weeks until the stories about me got worse and I had to leave. So again I was without work, then my brother-in-law, Albert, who was the Manager of a labour exchange, suggested that I went to Goole, a small port up-river from Hull. When I got there I decided to try to go to sea again under another name. I changed my identity to – Mathew Reckitt, seaman. My accent was not too bad for me to pass as an Englishman. Sailors were scares and I got signed on a ship at once.
The second blow fell, after only one voyage, when Germany sent Zepplins over to bomb English towns:- amongst which was Hull. The rage and indignation of the people was terrible and my poor family had to have police protection. The police finally said that there were too many Germans in Hessle, for them to be able to protect, so my family had to leave. But where were they to go to? Some Hessle women brought an open cheque to Edith to help her get established somewhere else, but she was either too furious or too proud to accept it and said she needed no help. Eventually she went to Grimsby, where she had two sisters living, and she settled at Cleethorpes, near Grimsby, where she has been ever since. The two towns are joined similar to Hamburg and Altana. She has a large house and takes in guests during the summer. Cleethorpes is a resort near the mouth of the River Humber. It is a pity that I couldn’t live over there but there was no work for me in Grimsby. I had work in Hull from 1917 – 1929 as a bosun on a steamship (s.s. ”Albano”), after 8 months as a seaman, I could not rise higher because I had only a Trawler Skipper’s Certificate. I had to leave the sea in 1929 as I was 66 years old and already two years over the maximum permitted age, and the Shipping Company gave me a job as a ship’s watchman i.e. when the crew, who are all Hull men, go ashore each night I am left in charge with only my little dog, Bonzo, for company. He is a true friend to me and a good watchdog who threatens to attack anyone who approaches his beloved master.
So this is the situation we are in at the moment. Edith lives alone in Cleethorpes and I am in hull [sic] in a furnished room where I cook, wash and patch me own clothes, and pay my landlady 10s. per week, and am able to send my wife one Pound per week. I don’t have a steady wage and sometimes have only 12s. for a week, sometimes 48s. (i.e. 6s per night) depending on whether the ship makes a long or short voyage – depending upon the weather.
Now I will tell you about the children. Max, now 45 years old, is the captain of a large oil tanker (M.V. “Bulysses”) voyaging between Singapore and China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. He is always away for 3 years and then comes home for a three months leave on full pay. He is married and his family, which consists of 3 boys 19, 17, & 15, lives in Hull.
John our youngest son, joined the Field Artillery in 1915 and was killed at Ypres on 17th. March 1916. This was the first tragedy that Edith blamed me for.
[page break]
3
Ralph, our second son, married a Hessle girl in 1916 and in 1917 was the 2nd Officer on an English ship s.s. “Elve” on which I had intended to sign as a seaman to voyage with him. At the last minute, luckily for me, they signed on a Chinese crew. I left Hull on the 20th. August on the s.s. “Albano” and soon after I heard a rumour that Ralph’s ship had been lost, eventually we got the news that it sank with all hands off the Portugese [sic] coast on the 11th. October. Torpedoes by my countrymen!! Edith finished with me completely after this, so from being someone who was loved, I was cut off and isolated. Thank God the children are loyal and visit me when they can. The sad thing is that Ralph’s widow had a baby son 4 months after she lost her husband, and called him Ralph, after his father. He is now 18 years old and also goes to sea. The widow married again after 4 years but I don’t know the name of her new husband.
Bertha married after the War. Her husband is a commercial traveller for Armour’s canned foods. His area is Hull and district and they also live in Hull.
Agnes married a shop assistant and had a son who is now 19 years old. Her husband died of T.B. after they had only been married for 2 or 3 years. She remarried in 1935 to a man who is a colour mixer in a paint factory, and they had a son on the 15th. June this year, the same date as her first son’s birthday, but they live in Grimsby so I don’t see them very often.
Eva got married last Christmas. Her husband sells motor cars and has a business in Croydon, near London. She was a nursing orderly, which cost me a lot of money, and was working in a Birmingham hospital until she became ill and had to have an operation on her ears which left her deaf on one side. That leaves my youngest daughter Edith, she is a brilliant scholar and went to a teacher training college in London for 2 years, before taking up a post in a Birmingham school. All my savings went on her studies, but it was worth it as she is taken care of, so I am not complaining.
I must finish off now. I am pleased that you are both independent and marriage is in the lap of the gods. Here I am, married but on my own for 21 years, ill for all of the past 2 years and no hope of better things to come. Goodbye! Write again when you have time and it is convenient. The address is:-
Mr. M. Reckitt, 62, English Street, Hull.
(signed)
[page break]
Kopie eindander handschriftlich Brief von Max Rättig
(Mathew Reckitt)
November 1936.
Nach Alfred Schlingmann
(seiner Vetter in Britain)
Dear Alfred.
Your letter, received this morning has given me the greatest pleasure imaginable. Do I remember you? Don’t I remember how we, as schoolboys used to wander about in Berlin.
(Some pages missing J.C.R.)
shorework and very little hope of getting work of [underlined] any [/underlined] kind as soon as people found out my identity. For a few weeks at the beginning of 1915 I got work as a labourer at a small shipyard in Hessle at One Pound a week. (I had earned 1 to 2 pounds a day at sea) but after a few weeks there I had to be discharged there too. Then my brother-in-law invited me to spend a few weeks with them and I went. While there I got in conversation with a neighbour, who advised me to go in cargo boats, because they were wanting men badly and my brother-in-law and I discussed the matter and came to the conclusion to change my name and try. As soon as I could I got a ship and went as able seaman (Matrose). As usual, I got on alright with the Captain and mates and everything went well again. My wife came to see me now and then when the ship was in port and we stopped at her brother’s house. She told me several times that she had a very unhappy time among the people at Hessle, but she carried on. The worst trouble began after the air-raids began over Hull and the people became very bitter against us. One report was that we had mines hidden in the house and the police had to search the house to satisfy the people. It got so bad at the finish that the owner of the house, no doubt inspired by the police, gave Edith notice to quit. Poor woman she had 3 little childdren [sic], 2,5,7 years old and nowhere to go, at the finish, after a visit to her sister at Grimsby (also a fishery Captain’s wife) Edith decided to go and live there, and she has done so ever since. My oldest son Max made his Captains Examination in Oct. 1914 and went as first mate in the steamer “Queen Elizabeth” and she was away nearly two years. He kept the old name and does so now. About 15 years ago he joined the Shell Company and is now Capt. of a tank steamer “Bulysses” sailing between Singapore and Australian ports. He comes on leave next year, 3 months on pay. Ralph my second son made his exam. 2nd. Mate in 1914 and joined a firm of tankers as 3rd. Mate, got his 1st Mates Certificate in Shanghai and in 2 years came home Chief Mate of the same ship. Also both had a record to be proud of. John the 3rd. boy, joined the Artillery in 1915 (volunteer) and after a short training in England was sent to France. He fell before Ypres on 17th. March 1916. Ralph married in 1916, a Hessle girl and joined the Blue Funnel Line (Alfred Holt of Liverpool) and was torpedoed and lost with all hands off the Portugese [sic] Coast about Oct 11. 1917.
[page break]
2.
But that is enough of my family affairs and if they interest you at all I will tell you more in my next.
Of myself I cannot say much. I went to sea until I was 66 and then [underlined] had [/underlined] to leave the sea but the Firm gave me a job as Ships Watchman and without boasting, I may say it is the best watching job they have. I get 6 shillings p. night, and am employed 6 nights one week and 7 the next. Besides that I have the State Old Age Pension 10sh. p.w; also the Trinity House, (a Corporation of People that have to do with the sea) a pension of 12 Pounds a year, and from the Sailors and Firemens [sic] Union 5 sh. per week. Also (ich glaube dass er meint auch – z.B. nämlich. (J.R.) One pound a week and 10 sh. p.w. for my room here. My health is very poor, chiefly, heart trouble and the least exertion puts me out of breath but I live very close to the Dock and once I get on the ship I am all right. I thank you for your offers of help, but indeed I manage quite well if not in Luxury, at least I can live as long as I work.
I should like to come to Berlin, but my health forbids that no. So does the rate of exchange. I am sorry to have to close now but you have a glimpse of my life., I will tell you more another time. With a thousand greetings, your old cousin.
Max R.
Please convey my best wishes to Helene.
Are you aware if the Fischer Family is still alive.
[page break]
Letter from Helene, Vienna to Adele, New York.
Vienna, January, 15th. 1937
My Dear Cousin Adele!
Since a long time we did not hear anything from one another – the old year is over and has brought us no good things. At first my mother’s death very painfully and cutting in for my sister and me. Then in spring I was sick for five months – I had a great fever and inflammation of my joints. That was very difficult also for Hertha who was taking care of me besides her office and the home-works. And also for my own office this illness was bad – you can understand. I was missing my dear mother too much.
In Autumn I received a letter from our uncle Max in England who was unknown for more than twenty years. But the informations [sic] were not delightful. He is old and sick and quite alone in his age. His wife left him because he was a German – two sonS’s [sic] had fallen against their father’s country and she was not loving him enough to forget it. Now, we write to one another very often and I am corresponding with his youngest daughter Edith who is a teacher in Birmingham.
I have the wish to see my uncle once more and – if I remain well – I shall travel to England in April this year. This is the reason why I am learning English – you see – you will find many mistakes, but it will be better and better, I hope.
Uncle Max has changed his name – you will have heard it from Uncle Alfred in Berlin, have you? And how do you do and your brothers family, my dearest cousin? Uncle Alfred was sending me a gigantic family-tree with more than four hundred of Rättigs, I am near to be haughty to be of such a famous family. But I am a little sad; nobody of the descendants of our old German family who are residing in foreign countries has maintained the German language besides you.
I hope the journey will be cheaper this year on account for the coronation of the new king. I am looking forward with great pleasure and expectation indeed.
I am awaiting your answer soon, my lovely cousin, and remain with many greetings for your brother’s family
Yours faithfully,
Letti
P.S. From our Uncle Alfred to Berlin I received your letter with a photo of your brother Alvin – and so I read something about you after a long time. Also heartiest gsreeting [sic] from my sister Hertha to you and Alvin. If Iyou [sic] will come to us, we shall play “Schach” all evening, as you like it.
[page break]
[underlined] THE RAETTIG FAMILY IN ENGLAND [/underlined]
MAX RATTIG 1864 – 1939
Contemporaries:-
German Cousins – Elisabeth Raettig (1862 – 1922)
Carl-August Rattig II (1867 – 19 )
American Cousins – Melitta Raettig (1883 – 1887)
Alvin Ernst Raettig (1886 – 1953)
Herman William Raettig (1887 – 1898)
Adele Sophie Raettig (1889 - )
[photograph of the Raettig family]
Back Row
Ralph, Bertha, Max Edgar, John, Eva
front
Agnes, Max, Edith (with baby Edith on knee)
Max’s mother, the widow of a government surveyor in Wittenberge, Germany, died in July, 1880, leaving two orphans – Max and his sister Bertha. It was decided that they should go and live with their Uncle August (D131212), and that Max, then age 16, should continue his studies to become an architect or surveyor.
[page break]
At about the age of twenty, he decided to leave Wittenberge, he planned to avoid conscription by becoming a sailor. He joined the crew of a sailing ship which made dregular [sic] voyages between Hamburg and Hull. A shipmate, who had lodgings in Hull, invited Max to stay with him whenever they were in port. Long ago, in 1843, a fleet of Brixham fishing boats were blown off course in a storm in the North Sea; they discovered the richest fishing grounds off the British coast – the “Silver Pit”. This lead to the development of the fishing industry in Hull; many families came from Brixham to live in Hull, including the father of Edith Bell whom Max met and married on the 26th. September, 1888. During their married life they lived at various addresses in Hull and district and he subsequently took out naturalisation papers, thus began the Raettigs in England! They had seven children – Max Edgar, Ralph, Bertha, John, Agnes, Eva, and Edith.
Max sailed as a fisherman for many years, and later as a merchant seaman with the Ellerman Wilson Line, travelling between Hull and Gothenburg and Hamburg. Eventually he became too old for an active sea-going life and continued to work as a ship’s watchman until shortly before his death on the 22nd. February, 1939, aged 75 years. His widow Edith, died on the 11th March, 1946.
His sister Bertha married Theodore Heinrich Rattig in Vienna on the 25th. August, 1896.
[underlined] THE SECOND GENERATION IN ENGLAND [/underlined]
IN ENGLAND:- Max Edgar, Ralph, John, Agnes, Eva, Edith.
IN GERMANY:- Carl Theodora Elisabeth, Gottfried Johannes, Liselotte
IN AMERICA:- Eleanor Mae, Alvin Ernest.
[underlined] MAX EDGAR RAETTIG [/underlined]. (1891 – 1955)
Max was the eldest son of Max and Edith Raettig, and was born in Hull. He was educated at the Trinity House School which specialised in preparing its pupils for seagoing careers. As soon as his schooldays were over he became an apprentice on a four masted barque, the s.s. “Clan Graham”, owned by the Dunlop Line. By the age of 19 he had transferred to steamships with the Blue Funnel Line and had taken his Master Mariners ticket. During the First World War his ship was torpedoed by a U-boat, but he survived, thank God. He married Doris Jackson, who lived in Hull, they had three sons Max Donald (1917), John Charles (1919) and Dennis (1920).
Max and Doris Raettig (1947)
After the War, Max sailed as Chief Officer on an oil tanker owned by the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Company. His voyages were mainly in the far East, he came home on leave every three years. At the time of the Depression in the Nineteen Twenties he at home for many months, unable to get a ship. At home for many months, unable to get a ship. [sic] He was approached by a ship owner who wanted him to recruit a crew and to sail a small coastal steamship from Hull to Newcastle. He set sail, with his father as First Officer, - the s.s. “Mary” began to leak water while still steaming down the River Humber and it had to be beached before it sank! After the Depression he was back with the Anglo Saxon tanker fleet and quickly became a captain; he remained with that Company until he retired with the rank of Commodore Captain. He was a self-taught musician, a keen card player, golfer, and gardener. He died on the 26th. September, 1955.
[page break]
[underlined] RALPH RAETTIG [/underlined] (1893 – 1917)
Ralph was also educated at the Trinity House School, in Hull. He served an apprenticeship as a ships officer and sailed with the Blue Funnel Line. He married Molly Appleton in 1916, his ship the s.s. “Elve” was torpedoed in 1917, and he was drowned. His son Ralph was born shortly after his father’s death. Molly died on the 25th. June 1989.
[underlined] JOHN RAETTIG [/underlined] (1893 – 1917)
John had left school only four years before the outbreak of World War I. He joined the Royal Artillery Corps in 1914 and was killed in the battle of Ypres in 1917.
[underlined] BERTHA RAETTIG [/underlined] (1897 – 1972)
Bertha was the eldest daughter of Max and Edith Raettig. When she left school she worked as a shop assistant. She married Frederick Britton in 1920. They had two children. John, who became a professor of Mathematics, and Kathleen who became a lecturer in Food & Hygiene. Fred worked as a representative for a company of sweet manufacturers and later for a company who imported canned fruit. Bertha and Fred led a happy married life and were well-loved by their relations. John married Katherine M. Stewart and they had three daughters – Anne Katherine, Christine Mary, and Mary Kathleen. John’s sister Kathleen married Peter Clark on the 16th. July, 1955.
[underlined] AGNES RAETTIG [/underlined] (1907 – 1944)
Agnes lived with her mother in Cleethorpes and worked as a waitress. She married William Jackson, a fisherman, they had one son – Billy Jackson who later became a surveyor. Agnes became a widow and later married Harold Gibson, a paint blender, they had three children – Paul Gibson, Trevor Gibson, and Ian Gibson. Agnes died in 1944.
[underlined] EVA RAETIGG [/underlined]. (1909 – 1968)
After leaving School Eva became a student nurse. She married Tom Burns, a garage owner, in 1953, they lived at Sanderstead near Croydon, Surrey. They had two children, Richard who now manages the garage business, and Nita who teaches music. Eva died in 1968 and Tom died in 1988.
[underlined] EDITH RAETTIG [/underlined]
Edith is the only surviving member of the second generation. She trained as a school teacher and taught school in Birmingham. Her first husband was killed in a road accident, she had twin children, Jeremy who has a degree in chemistry and works for a firm of food manufacturers, and Jane who is married and has a small family. Sometime after the death of her sister Eva, Edith married Tom Burns, she continues to live at Sanderstead.
[page break]
[underlined] THE THIRD GENERATION IN ENGLAND [/underlined]
IN ENGLAND:- Max Donald, John, Dennis, - Ralph II.
IN GERMANY:- Bernfried, Elisabeth, Rosmarie, Gunhild, Hans-Jorg, Dorothea.
IN AMERICA:- Susan Mae, Edward Ernest, Steven Francis, Leslie Ellen
[photograph of Dennis, Max, John, - 1986]
[underlined] MAX DONALD RAETTIG [/underlined]
The eldest son of Max Edgar, born in Hull. After leaving the Hull Grammar School, he became an articled clerk in a firm of accountants, R.E. Moss & Co.. During the Second World War he served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and took part in the North Africa Landings. After the war he resumed his career as a Chartered Accountant, and is a past-president of the regional branch of his professional society. He married Marjorie Robinson during the war and they have one daughter who married Peter Clarke. Margaret and Peter at present live and work in Spain and have two children – daughter Natalie and son David.
[underlined] JOHN CHARLES RAETTIG [/underlined] (b.1.11.1919)
The second son of Max Edgar. After education at the Hull Grammar School and the College of Commerce, commenced work with a firm of consulting engineers. During the war he serviced in the Royal Air Force as a Wireless Operator/Mechanic, working on the installation, maintenance and development of electronic equipment. After the war he joined the training staff of Blackburn Aircraft Company., (now part of British Aerospace P.L.C.) he became Apprentice Supervisor (over 300 apprentices) and later deputy training manager. He married Brenda Took and is the father of Michael, Gillian, Carol and Penelope. His first marriage failed and he married Susan Jarvis in 1979 and has one stepson – Guy Bernard Jarvis.
[page break]
[underlined] DENNIS WILLIAM RAETTIG [/underlined] (B.16.12.1920)
The third son of Max Edgar. After education at the Hull Grammar School and commercial college, he joined M. Harland Ltd., Printers, Hull. He served in the Royal Air Force as a Flight Mechanic (engines) maintaining mainly Halifax bombers. After the war he set up his own small firm of printers. He married Joan Wray and they have two children, Peter and Susan. Susan married Colin Burn – they have three children, Jennifer, Oliver, and Victoria.
[underlined] RALPH RAETTIG [/underlined] (b.7.11.1918)
Ralph was the only son of Ralph Raettig. He was educated at the Nautical School, Hull, and joined the Blue Funnel Line as an apprentice deck officer. He later sailed as an officer in the Ellerman Hall Line in the “City” boats. He then joined a company of ocean going tugboats and was in fact Towing Master responsible for the delivery of the floating drydock to Rotterdam. He married Stella Booth, they had one son Christopher. Ralph and Stella bought a grocers [sic] shop in Scarborough which they owned until he died in February, 1973.
[page break]
[underlined] THE FOURTH GENERATION IN ENGLAND [/underlined]
[underlined] IN ENGLAND [/underlined]:- Margaret; Michael, Gillian , Carol, Penelope; Susan, Peter; Christopher.
[underlined] IN GERMANY [/underlined:- Kerstin, Thorn, Leif.
[underlined] IN AMERICA [/underlined]:- Alexander Steven; Michelle Leigh, Mathew Edward.
[underlined] MARGARET ANN RAETTIG [/underlined]. (b.5.3.1952)
Daughter of Max and Marjorie Raettig, educated at the Rise Roman Catholic School, married Peter Clarke in 1975. Margaret and her husband have worked in various places in hotel and restaurant management and at present own a restaurant and bar in Spain. They have two children, Natalie (b.14.6.1976) and David Paul (b.24.5.1981), both attend school in Spain.
[underlined] MICHAEL ANTHONY RAETTIG [/underlined]. (b.5.1.1951)
The son of John Charles Raettig, he was educated at the Hull Grammar School and trained as an Aeronautical Engineer with Hawker Siddeley Aviation. He has remained with the company which is now part of British Aerospace and is managing the section of the Design Facility responsible for the design of the Hawk aircraft, as flown by the “Red Arrows”. He married Joyce Cooling in 1975. They have three children Nicola Jane (b.16.6.1976), Christopher James (b.5.3.1979), and Paul Andrew (b.23.12.1981). The family are living in Market Weighton, Yorkshire.
[underlined] GILLIAN ELIZABETH RAETTIG [/underlined]. (B.1.12.1952)
Eldest daughter of John Charles, was educated at the Newland High School for Girls, Hull. Attended the Medical School of Leeds University and graduated in Medicine and Surgery, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. She married Robert Scothern who trained with Hawker Siddeley Aviation and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer at the University of Loughborough, he is now a Chartered Engineer and works for British Rail Engineering Limited, Derby. They have four children, David Peter (b.25.11.1982), Miriam Anne (b.29.5.1984), Ruth Elizabeth (b.8.5.1986), and Rachel Esther (b.1.8.1988). At present they live in Leicester.
[underlined] CAROL ELAINE RAETTIG [/underlined]. (b.15.12.1953)
The second daughter of John Charles, was educated at the Newland High School for Girls, Hull. She worked as a child care officer for the Hull City Council, and later worked with the German evangelist, Anton Schulter, at Neues Leben, Altenkirchen, Germany. She returned to England and took a degree course in Hotel Management and Catering at the Leeds Polytechnic. She has worked in several hotels including the Hilton, Munich. She is currently Restaurant Manageress at the Parkway Hotel, Leeds.
[underlined] PENELOPE JANE RAETTIG [/underlined] (b.20.12.1961)
The youngest daughter of John Charles, educated at Kingussie School, near Aviemoor [sic], Scotland. Graduated in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Glasgow University, July 1986. Took up a post as Veterinary Officer with the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, Hull. She married Donald Campbell in December, 1988, and went to live and work as a veterinary officer in Glasgow.
[page break]
[underlined] SUSAN PATRICIA RAETTIG. [/underlined] (b.17.3.1953)
Daughter of Dennis and Joan Raettig, was educated at the Newland High School for Girls, Hull. Trained as a teacher at the Margaret Macmillan Teacher Training College, Bradford. Married Colin Burn a graduate electronics engineer, on the 13th. August, 1977. They live at Coopers Hill, Gloucestershire, and have three children, Jennifer (b.3.8.1981), Oliver Michael (b.19.7.1983), and Victoria (b.1.1.1987).
[underlined] PETER MAX RAETTIG [/underlined]. (b.14.6.1959)
Son of Dennis and Joan Raettig, was educated at the Kelvin High School, Hull. He graduated in Computer Sciences at the Leeds Polytechnic and is working on computerised printing systems for a company that manufactures equipment for publishers., He married Nicole Thrush on the 25th. August, 1986, and live at Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. They have a son Thomas Michael Max (b.4.5.1989)
[underlined] CHRISTOPHER RAETTIG [/underlined] (29.8.1944)
Christopher, the son of Ralph and Stella Raettig, was educated at the Scarborough Boys’ High School and later studied for and obtained his Ordinary and Higher National Certificates in Engineering at the Hull Technical College. He served an apprenticeship as an Aeronautical Engineer at Blackburn Aircraft Ltd., and worked there for some years as a Design Draughtsman. He later joined Slingsby Aviation at Pickering, Yorkshire and at present holds the post of Chief Draughtsman – Production Support.
He married Coral Kirkham on the 18th. October, 1969. They have two sons, Steven (b.26.12.1972) and Jonathon (b.16.8.1975). The family live in Pickering, Yorkshire.
[underlined] Hull.2nd. August, 1989 [/underlined]
[page break]
[family photograph]
[page break]
[photograph of a couple]
[page break]
[postage stamp]
MRS. E. GILTHORPE

Dear Mrs Gilthorpe,
I feel some-what guilty for not writing to you in reply to your interesting letter last August. Although I did ring my cousin Kate, who as you no doubt know – lives next door to your cousin Edith Burns (our Aunt), and I believe you are now in touch.
I am enclosing a copy of an old photograph which I hope will be of interest to you. You will notice that ‘baby Edith’ is on her Mothers knee – so I assume that the original is about 90 years ago. I have continued the documentation so that you can understand the photo better, which my elder brother John, compiled some years ago. As far as I am aware, we each (my two brothers and I) have a copy of the family tree going back to the middle 1600,s [sic]. It was produced by one of our Austrian relations in 1936 and sent to my grandfather.
Wishing you a Happy New Year,
Yours etc.
[page break]
[family photograph]
[page break]
[list]
[kinship of Dennis William Raettig]
[page break]
[list]
[relationship with Dennis Raettig]
[page break]
[list]
[relationship with Dennis Raettig]
[page break]
[list]
[relationship with Dennis Raettig]
[page break]

Dear Mr. Raettig,
My cousin and godmother was Edith Burns. In her last letter to me she mentioned a visit to her nephew in Hull.
I wonder if you are that same nephew – or a relative? I have traced your address from the telephone Directory.
The reason for this letter is that I am researching the BELL family. Edith Bell (formerly EALES, [inserted] her mother – Erina – [/inserted]) was my grandmother’s sister. I have very little information on Edith & family so far.
If there is a link with you would you mind if I write with further questions?
[page break]
[descendants of BELL and BARTON – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of EALES and POWLESLAND – family tree]
[descendants of John Wilcox – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of Georg Rattig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of August Herman Theodor Bothe Rattig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of August Herman Theodor Bothe Rattig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of Wilhelm Edgar Rattig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of Wilhelm Edgar Rattig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of Carl E Theophil Raettig – family tree]
[page break]
[descendants of Theodore Heinrich Arthur Rattig – family tree]

Title

Research on German bombing of Hull

Air raids on Hull both World Wars

Description

Four documents. First a title page. Second a newspaper article summarising Hull's bombing experience in number of raids, people killed, houses destroyed or damaged, damage incidents, people rendered homeless and number of alerts. Notes that only 5938 houses escaped unscathed and gives casualties for seven raids in May 1941. Third a list of dates and street or areas where bombs fell from June 1940 to July 1943. Fourth a list of dates from May 1915 until August 1918 with call, dismiss and remarks. Nine remarks state 'Raid' and one states 'Zepps in vicinity and bombs dropped across the Humber and at Heden'.

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Contributor

Robin Christian

David Bloomfield

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

One title page, one newspaper cutting, one two page typewritten document and one single page typewritten document.

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Transcription

Our Losses.- For the sake of those who have been abroad, and have never seen in print a summary of Hull experiences during the war, I reproduce them:-

Actual raids, during which bombs were dropped - 82, People killed, about - 1,200, Treated for injuries, about - 3,000, Houses destroyed or damaged - 86,722, Total damage incidents - 146,568, People rendered homeless, permanently or temporarily - 152,000, Number of alerts, 815, Only 5,938 houses in the city escaped unscathed.

In the seven raids of May, 1941, 423 people were killed, and 787 injured, 331 of them seriously; there were 845 fires in the city, not including those put out at the start and not reported officially. In that month alone some 30,000 signed on for duty in one branch or other of the Defence or Welfare services.

Title

Letter to Dennis Raettig from his mother

Description

Writes about stories of damage to Hull in bombing related by him and other acquaintances. Enquires about other people and relates some family news. Mentions that things are not comfy at her location due to bombing but she wished to stay with her husband. Talks about cost of postage and sending of stamps. Notes that they have acquired a spaniel dog.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1941-08-18

Contributor

Tricia Marshall

David Bloomfield

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

Tow page handwritten document

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

Spatial Coverage

Temporal Coverage

Transcription

[underlined] August 18th 1941 [/underlined]
Mr Dear [underlined] Dennis [/underlined]
Thank you for another interesting letter. No we hadn’t heard what damage had been done to Hull until we got your letter although when we heard from Marion she mentioned that there were not many big shops left. Since then we have met a soldier called Jim Hilson who lives in Parkfield Drive & his wife sent him quite a list of the damage done he told us that Robinsons woodwork shop is down so I wonder what they are doing now. I wonder if there was anyone in the shops when they went, maybe some roof watchers. What about Co-op Bank is that still alright, I wonder what they will do if it gets bombed maybe they have got records elsewhere. Do you know if Arthur Cauby has had to join up, his job at Sissons would finish didn’t it. Yes Dennis I am sure you would be pleased to see “Raeville”, I would just love to sleep in my own bed, I do wish we were all safely back again. How was the car looking, do you think it will be ruined. Yes I too am sorry Fields Octagon Cafe is gone, the first time I [deleted] was [/deleted] saw Daddy was in there, still most of the places
[page break]
you mention wouldn’t have many people in at the time. I haven’t heard from M[underlined]rs[/underlined] Johnson yet maybe her letter got lost. I had a letter from Jack he had been spending a week-end with Auntie Eva. Things are not at all comfy here having air raids or alarms every night so I am going for a holiday to get a rest I shall not go far away so I will be able to see Daddy sometimes. I don’t want to leave Daddy but he gets a bit worried about me. How much are you weighing now Dennis, I got weighed again & I am 8st 1lb 5oz, Daddy keeps telling me that my sons wont [sic] know me when I come home but I can see where I have got fat maybe my bones are a bit better covered that is all. We are looking forward to getting those Airgraph letters now we have heard that you are able to send them. Jack said in his letter that one week he had not enough money to buy a stamp to send us a letter, well now they will cost you a bit more with the Airgraphs so how about sending Max & Jack 4 or 6 stamps a month out of Raeville money & take the same yourself I keep wondering if you arranged about paying Daddy’s Trinity House Fund. Is Marjory D. still doing the same job. I told you didn’t I that Daddy has got a Spaniel dog, Daddy brushes here [sic] every day & she looks very nice, if she has some pups before we come home I would realy [sic] feel like bring [sic] one home, but no other dog takes Micks place with me. Keep writing Dennis & lets [sic] us have the news if I go away Daddy will forward the letters on to me. Has Uncle Fred got quite better again, does he like being at Raeville’ better than Eleanors. It is lunch time now. Remember me to all our friends. Hope you are keeping well
Much Love
[underlined] Mother [/underlined]

Title

Letter to Dennis Raettig from his mother

Description

Senders address is care of Worms and Company (shipping agents). Asks whether Dennis Raettig has been receiving mail from his father and relates family news. Comments that most women and children have been evacuated. Tells story of two women acquaintances who were burned after a bombing attack by the Germans on their ships. Notes that she and his father have decided not to evacuate and relates their day to day experiences. Writes about other people and notes that some have told he about damage in bombing of Hull. Mentions that they both have had inoculations and thanks him for the photographs he sent.

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1941-07-28

Contributor

Alan Pinchbeck

David Bloomfield

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

Two page handwritten document with envelope

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Identifier

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Transcription

[front of envelope]
[postage stamps]
[post mark]
MR. D.W. RAETTIG
RAEVILLE
BEVERLEY ROAD.
ANLABY
E. YORKS.
ENGLAND.
[page break]
[inserted] Thanks for congratulations received when we got back from Suez [/inserted]
[underlined] 90 Worms & Co [/underlined]
[underlined] July 27th 1941 [/underlined]
My Dear Dennis
Are you getting those Airgraph letters Daddy is sending to you, they ought only to take 10 or 15 days to reach you. I am not able to write anything in those because they are for the Services only so I will have to write these letters on my own. I expect you will have left Blackpool by now & we are wondering where you are. Jack said in his last letter that he might be coming out this way so we are wondering if he has got started off. Also we would very much like to know what ship Max is on. We have been having a bit of a tough time here lately. Most of the women & children either have or are evacuating Mrs Snowden & Mrs Frood decided they would go they went on the ship in the morning & at night while the ship was still in the bay the Jerrys came over and dropped two bombs on the ship & the women & children were trapped in the blazing saloon. Mrs Snowden is badly burned & Mrs Frood is burned on her arms & chest & badly shocked but both are getting on nicely. I ought to have been with them but Daddy and I decided we would try and stay together as long as possible. He had a letter from Marion Barber the other day saying she had only heard from Don twice since Christmas & had we heard from him well we have only had the one letter and he gave us to understand that he doesn’t like writing however we will try & get in touch with him again & remind him that he has got some folk at home. Marion says they had there [sic] windows blown out & that there isn’t much shopping centre left in Hull. I heard that there was another bad raid last week & it was feared many people killed. I expect [one indecipherable word] will have to open out else where I think they would be insured alright. I wonder if that offer for Wilberforce St was accepted it wouldn’t be for much I expect. I am glad you managed to get Bladons paid off before you left. By the way did you arrange about Daddys big insurance & the trinity House. I am glad you
[page break]
insured the house, is it covered against war damage now. You say you wire Don Barber to write to Daddy well when he wrote to us he thanked us for the wire & we couldn’t make out what he meant as we hadn’t sent him a wire, so it would be your wire he would mean. Yes you did tell us that you had been vacinated [sic] & innoculated, [sic] Daddy & I too have been done, the first innoculation [sic] made me feel groggy for 24 hours but I was alright for the others. Daddy is busy playing bridge with some of the passengers & it is time for a drink of whisky so this is where I join in. Well I have brought my drink here so that I can still write to you. I am so glad you have been able to go & see Mrs Johnson especially at the first place you had to go to, you will be more used to being amongst strangers at the next move you make. Marion said Uncle Fred looked much better than she expected. My goodness Dennis Daddy & I are delighted with the photos you have sent us, the one of you & Jack & then this one of you & Marjorie. When I showed the folks the one of you & Marjorie they said my word your son is a very good judge he knows how to choose a girl friend, & say are there any more at Hull like that. It would be a very nice break for you Marjorie coming to Blackpool, how did she manage to pass her time while you were on duty. Goodness you don’t seem to have much time to yourself if you get up at 6.30 & don’t go to bed till 11 at night that makes the days too long. Yes I heard about the raid on Belfast in April. I sent Uncle Don a cable & he sent me one back saying they were O.K but I think they have had more raids since then. No it isn’t very nice being in lodgings with someone else they take your money but they don’t want the bother of you. I wonder what those Blackpool landladys [sic] would do for a living just now if it wasn’t for you boys. Did you get tired of your ‘tash’. Daddy has got a new dog a spaniel but I don’t like her so much as Mick though she is pretty to look at. This is all for this time write & let me have all the news.
Much Love
[underlined] Mother [/underlined]

Description

Creator

Publisher

IBCC Digital Archive

Date

1938-05-14

Contributor

Tricia Marshall

David Bloomfield

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Format

One-page typewritten document and envelope

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Type

Identifier

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[underlined] On His Majesty’s [missing word] [/underlined]
[postmark]
[official paid stamp]
D Raettig
2 Wilberforce St
Anlaby Rd
Hull
[deleted] If undelivered please return to:-
The Supervising Examiner (Driving Tests),
Ministry of Transport,
Yorkshire Area,
Weetwood Chambers,
Albion Street, Leeds, 1. [/deleted]
[inserted]
Ministry of Transport,
2nd Floor, Government Buildings,
(Stanley St. Entrance), Spring Bank, Hull
[page break]
[underlined] Form B. 16 [/underlined].
[deleted] MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
YORKSHIRE AREA DRIVING TESTS,
93a, Albion Street, Leeds, 1 [/deleted]
[inserted] Reply to [/inserted]
The Driving Examiner,
Ministry of Transport,
2nd Floor,
Government Buildings,
(Stanley Street Entrance),
Spring Bank, Hull.
[underlined] VERY URGENT [/underlined].
Dear Sir (or Madam),
Your reply to the offer sent from this office for an appointment for a driving test has been received, and I regret to note that you intimate your inability to attend, or that the date offered is too late.
This Department at present is experiencing a period of excessive stress, and the number of applications received daily is so large that it is clearly impossible to make arrangement such as would be made under normal conditions.
The date offered to you for an appointment is the only one available during the next several weeks, and I would, therefore, ask your kind indulgence in the difficult conditions under which all sections of the Department are working.
I trust you will kindly accept the appointment offered, but if your reply is not received within [underlined] three [/underlined] days, it will unfortunately be necessary to cancel the offer and make arrangements for another applicant to be accommodated. Please do what you can to help.
[inserted] Regret we are fully booked till June 41. [/inserted]
Yours faithfully,
W. McQUADE.
Supervising Examiner (Driving Tests).
[underlined] NOTE [/underlined]: Please use the form below for your reply.